11 | RACIAL JUSTICE AND EQUITY RACIAL JUSTICE AND EQUITY | 12 DIVERSITY EDUCATION In 2020, we launched a new Racial Justice series with leading thought leaders on the impact of systemic racism in many facets of society. Over the past two years and more than 30 programs, we’ve heard from many of the greatest minds from a diverse array of disciplines on the complex and interconnected issues of racial justice and equity in society. Yet, we have only scratched the surface and there is much more to come. Meredith Moore Director, Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, New York One Year Later ReNika Moore Adam Banks Zack Tripp Robert Niles-Weed On May 26, 2021, Weil hosted an event to examine the impact of the U.S. racial reckoning catalyzed by the murder of George Floyd one year prior. We welcomed ReNika Moore, Director of the ACLU’s Racial Justice Program, who joined Adam Banks, partner in New York Litigation, to discuss what has been accomplished and what our priorities should be moving forward. Weil Appellate practice Co-Head Zack Tripp and Litigation associate Robert Niles-Weed subsequently joined the conversation to discuss their work with the ACLU’s Racial Justice program and other organizations to obtain loan forgiveness for small business owners seeking to overcome prior criminal history while struggling with the impact of the COVID-19 crisis. Juneteenth On June 16, 2021, Heather McGhee, political commentator and author of The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together, delivered a virtual keynote in honor of Juneteenth followed by a Q&A discussion facilitated by Chris Garcia, partner and Co-Chair of the Firm’s Diversity Committee. Heather shared key insights from her economic and sociological research, telling the story of racism’s cost, why a “zero-sum” mindset with regard to DEI hurts all of us, and how we can achieve something called “the Solidarity Dividend” by working together across race. It’s about widening the aperture, to recognize the centrality of race in our policymaking, and recognize that nobody goes unscathed. A system like this is pervasive, it distorts our functioning as a society in a way that makes life harder, and makes policymaking less reasonable than it would be otherwise. Heather McGhee Intersectional Approach: Pride Month Gabby Rivera Justin Lee Vynessa Nemunaitis On June 29, 2021, Gabby Rivera, author of the critically acclaimed novel Juliet Takes a Breath and the first Latina to write for Marvel Comics, shared her experiences as a selfdescribed queer Puerto Rican from the Bronx. In conversation with New York partner Justin Lee of WeilPride and Dallas partner Vynessa Nemunaitis of WeilLatinx, she discussed the intersectionality of gender identity and race in the LGBTQ+ community and the power of authenticity and representation. The Firm has held more than 30 programs to date. Heather McGhee
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