“Not Another Black Life”

Take a moment and identify your skills and passions. How can you use those to make sure the world is just, fair, and equitable for all?

Go ahead and press play! This is a video of me speaking after a Black Lives Matter march and protest that occurred in Athens, Georgia on September 4, 2020. The University of Georgia School of Law’s Black Law Student’s Association (BLSA) organized and led a march in honor of the Black lives that have been lost at the hands of police brutality and as a gesture to show how important the Athens community is to the Black law students. Law students took the time out of their busy study schedules to mobilize and speak out on issues dear to their hearts. BLSA partnered with Athens for Everyone, Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement, and Crisis in Black Education. We gathered at the UGA Arch, marched along the streets downtown, and ended on the steps of Athens City Hall. Their goals for the march were:

• Covid-19 Management,
• Fair Process GA Law Review,
• Scholarships for Black Descendants of Slaves and of Linnentown,
• Renaming UGA Buildings with Racist History,
• End Qualified Immunity, and
• Shifting Resources Away from Athens-Clarke Police Department toward Community Resources.

My mentee and my intern told me about the march, and there was no way that I was going to miss it. I do not remember BLSA being this involved and connected to the Athens community when I was in law school, so I was looking forward to it. I also know how important it is to have these protests to make sure our voices are heard daily and not just occasionally. I was so proud of them for organizing this! But I wasn’t expecting to be asked to speak afterward lol.

On Tuesday, September 1st, just three days before the protest, my mentee texted me asking if I was interested in saying a few words after the march. That took me by complete surprise! She said that I was requested by a couple of people to speak. I asked her what they had in mind for me to say, and she essentially left it up to me. (I hate when things are left up to me!) She did give me some guidance on possibly speaking about my experiences working in the criminal justice system in Athens. I’ve been doing this for 5 years, that should be easy, right?! Nah!

Probably up until that day, I have not really taken the time to reflect on my experience with working in the criminal justice system. I mean, I discuss cases every day and share crazy stories with my coworkers when the craziness occurs, but I don’t really step back and get a bird’s-eye view of my career. I haven’t really analyzed all of those crazy stories, or kept mental notes of any racial disparities in my cases, or fully examined the wide range of emotions I’ve felt over the last 5 years. (During my time in quarantine I realized I avoid self-reflection, so I have become more intentional about it and its benefits). So my mentee’s “limited” guidance was just what I needed.

The next day after agreeing to speak, I asked one of my coworkers to help me with my speech. He can get really animated and has a way with words (all lawyers do, right?), so I knew he was the perfect person to ask. We brainstormed for about 30 minutes, and I felt more confident in what I was going to talk about. I mulled over that speech, tweaked it to make it more personal, and was ready! But then, right before I spoke, I was introduced as a District Attorney and that threw me all the way off! That’s why I start off my speech with “I am not a district attorney…” That was NOT what was written in my speech! But I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, and God has a funny way of working sometimes, and He chose this moment because He knew I already had the words written in my heart.

Yall, that speech was zero percent of what I prepared. I had the paper in my hand but didn’t use it. God was moving, I shared the story about my client whose case was dear to my heart, and the message that was meant to be conveyed was. There is nothing that I would change about that moment. I am thankful my mentee asked me to speak. I am thankful my coworker helped me prepare. I am thankful I was the one to help my client get into treatment. I am thankful I was able to shed a positive light on the Athens Public Defender Office. I am hopeful my speech moved at least one person to use their skills and passions to help fight this fight against racial injustice.

When we say Black Lives Matter, we are not saying that other lives don’t matter. We are simply asking for the respect, love, and kindness that is shown to other lives to be also shown to our Black lives. Black lives are being unjustly taken by police officers daily. All we want is for the killings to stop, and for all of us to be treated equally in every area of life.

“Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.” -Leviticus 19:15 NIV.

Moni Jay, Off The Record