Racism is real. Silence is acceptance.
The escalation of violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in the United States has resulted in 3,800 reported cases of anti-Asian hate crimes since March 2020. Tragically, that hate devolved into the recent killings in Atlanta of Delaina Ashley Yaun, Paul Andre Michels, Xiaojie Tan, Daoyou Feng, Soon C. Park, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, and Yong A. Yue. We mourn their loss and share in the grief of their family and friends.
This is an outrage on many levels. Innocent lives were once again lost because of hate — with victims targeted simply because of their race. The response to recent events remains woefully insufficient. Where is the outcry? We should all question whether enough is being done to address the issues at the root of what is fueling this surge in violence. Silence is acceptance.
As lawyers, we swear an oath to defend the rule of law, and we condemn in the strongest terms possible this grave threat to democracy, equality, and social justice. When acts of violence or hate are aimed at any group, we are all impacted, as hate and violence threaten the fabric of humanity.
Stand against race jokes. Stand against hate. Stand against violence. We challenge our members, supporters, and you to stand up, speak out, and actively lend your support of our AAPI colleagues, neighbors, families, and friends traumatized by the ongoing escalation of these senseless acts of violence.
The Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) stands in solidarity with the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) and the AAPI communities to decry and denounce these series of attacks in the United States and around the world.
To learn more about what you can do to make a difference and stand for tolerance, diversity, inclusion, and equity, the resources from NAPABA are a great place to start. In the meantime, you may be interested in checking out these informative resources from the ACC library:
Samples and Checklists:
ACC Articles:
Online Education:
Other Resources:
The ACC team is hard at work gathering content that we believe may be particularly suited for your needs and is organizing it on the ACC Foundation I.D.E.A.L. site. We also ask for your help: As you find useful information, guidelines, policy statements, and more, please forward the materials to memberservices@acc.com.
ACC St. Louis Diversity Initiatives (details attached)
- Two Day Leadership Training
- Diversity Summer Internship Program
- Bridges Across Racial Polarization®
- Fireside Chats
Street Law - Legal Diversity Pipeline Programs
Street Law’s Legal Diversity Pipeline Programs partner law firms and corporate legal departments with nearby, diverse high school classes. Through classroom visits and a field trip to the law firm or legal department, volunteers teach lessons and lead activities designed to increase students' knowledge and interest in the law and legal careers.
Participating Chapters: Baltimore, Central Florida, Chicago, Dallas Fort Worth, Georgia, Greater Philadelphia, Houston, National Capital Region, Southern California, St. Louis, Tampa Bay
Chapter Diversity Internships
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