In February, some celebrate Black History Month but at our law college we celebrate Diversity Week. Diversity Week is a celebration of diverse aspects of our community and raises awareness of various issues affecting our law college community, surrounding communities, and the legal profession. Diversity week is celebrated for a full week in February and the theme this year is Pulse Check. This week of events and programs has allowed me to reflect on my past experiences as a black law student and on the manner in which I engage with law students generally and black law students specifically. I interact with black law students quite a bit by virtue of my community involvement and service to the law college. I serve as advisor to the Black Law Student Association, volunteer with affinity groups, and serve as an ASP professional. My black students hail from various states and countries and were raised in rural and urban settings. They are first generation college and law students. They are parents, immigrants, and children of immigrants. They have various political and social affiliations. In sum, I interact with a very diverse group of black law students.
Socio-cultural backgrounds do not always change the experiences they share which are similar to mine as a black law student. When I encountered challenges I thought unique to me as a black law student, I had very few individuals I could turn to for help navigating these experiences so I am glad to help others. I do not always have an answer but I can empower, encourage, and help students manage a variety of experiences. Some students experience stereotype threat through verbal or non-verbal interaction in class or with classmates who sometimes perceive a black student’s academic ability and intelligence as inferior. I have seen the brightest students have their confidence shaken by a comment or remark that attacks the core of who they are, minimizes what they bring to discussion, and delegitimizes the reasons why they are in the law school. Other black students never encounter this and appear to have very positive experiences so it is important to recognize that everyone has unique experiences.
I am lucky to be at an institution where our Diversity Officer is readily accessible and her office serves as a place where several students of color converge to meet, build community, and support one another. The Diversity Officer creates opportunities for students to discuss issues related to their experiences as students of color and possible challenges as legal professionals. All I have discussed here might seem unrelated to academic performance but it does have a significant impact. How students feel and the support networks they are able to develop are important. We are here to help students achieve their dreams which entail completing their legal education and passing the bar exam. We need to pay attention to the individual and each encounter is a possible transformative moment in the life of a student. (Goldie Pritchard)
