News and Announcements
UWLA President's Statement
Charlottesville Tragedy
Dear All,Perhaps like most of you, I watched in horror as the tragic events, violence and despicable acts occurred in Charlottesville, Virginia, this weekend. I was deeply saddened, horrified and disturbed to see white nationalist, neo-Nazi and KKK members provoke and perpetrate terrible acts of hate and violence against the counter-protesters of all races and ethnic backgrounds. The violence and deaths that occurred from the actions of the hate-mongers were utterly disgraceful and disdainful and has no place in our society. I also felt impotent in my lack of ability to be adequately involved in addressing the situation.
Let me give a little background. I grew up in the heart of the civil rights movement during the late 60's and 70's. I grew up in the streets of South-Central Los Angeles, where the oppression was underlying and controlled every day and every aspect of my life in one form or another. Sometimes it was very subtle and often it was very direct. I was fortunate to attend UCLA law school and had my maturation on the walkways of UCLA. I listened intently to the heated debates on all of the hot topics of the time. Affirmative action, racism, civil rights, feminist and gay rights were at the forefront of the debates and the arguments were very heated and confrontational, to say the least. The oppression of the preceding years was no longer going to be tolerated and met with silence, not to be opposed. Men and women of all races, ethnicities, cultures and backgrounds united to combat the oppression of racism, sexism and intolerance for people targeted by such actions. I was among them.
I have worked steadfastly for the past twenty years for the existence and sustainability of UWLA. Why? Because I see the culture and environment at UWLA as an antidote for the hatred, fear and ignorance that I felt dominated the mindsets of those who harbored the illicit feelings of racism, sexism, homophobia or xenophobia. Our creed is to be a place of inclusion. I desire for UWLA to be a place where men and women, regardless of their immutable characteristics, can find a safe haven to study and learn law and business. We have always felt that our strength is in knowledge. It is for these reasons that I feel compelled to write this message.
Under my presidency, UWLA will not tolerate any terrorist actions stemming from any groups, especially those whose mantra is hatred and violence to other people, especially domestic terrorist like the KKK, white nationalist and neo-Nazi groups and their supporters. It won't happen here at UWLA on my watch and any such actions will be met with swift strong opposition and total resistance from my administration.
Just as importantly, UWLA will continue to be a place of learning designed to educate people on all points of view, but with an underlying theme of inclusion, sensitivity and welcoming for the differences of all people. As a learning place, there is formal education and informal education. I wish to encourage each of us to reflect on our feelings regarding these issues of tolerance and inclusion and juxtapose them against the bigotry and hatefulness that we are witnessing throughout the US. Are we truly tolerant of views that might be different than our own? Some might call me a hypocrite for not tolerating the views of the "hate" groups that I just mentioned. I think that for me, while I recognize the constitutional right to free speech, any group that espouses bigotry, racism, hatred, intolerance, disrespect and violence to any other group is not deserving and steps outside of the protection and cover of the integrity of the law and of our moral codes.
But we should also use this as an informal learning experience. I invite each of you to do several things. If you feel motivated, feel free to comment on my positions. I would ask that you not do it anonymously and that you allow others to join in the conversation. This activity will be both informative and therapeutic. I would invite you to share with all of us your feelings about diversity and inclusion or racism and oppression. Let's get it out there as a community. Perhaps it is the most that any of us can effectively do at this time to express our feelings about this very controversial issue. But who knows, like what happened to me on the walkways of UCLA, my ignorance was lifted and my enlightenment commenced. I was awakened to test my thoughts and feelings toward my biases and prejudices with different ideas and concepts concerning the judgments that I made of other people. Perhaps this will also happen to you. As lawyers and business people this is an invaluable capability to possess. Can one tolerate other people to find the truth and make sure that they do not victimize themselves in the process?
Next, share with me your experiences about yourself and the experiences you have had with other people from different backgrounds. Share the good experiences and the bad experiences. Also share the cultural nuances that you have had to reconcile while adapting to this culture or accepting the cultural, racial or gender attributes of another individual that you have gotten to know. Let me know why it changed your biased or prejudiced way of thinking about the group as a whole.
Lastly, try to get to know one of the other members of the UWLA community from a background different than your own. Reach out to someone seemingly very different from you to start a conversation on your perceived differences and newfound similarities, if any. Share with them how this connection assisted in breaking down the barriers of bias and prejudice that you previously possessed.
I believe the real truth is that love and positivity will always be stronger and will overcome fear, intolerance, hatred and ignorance. Let's see where this goes from here. Perhaps we should have a forum or town hall meeting to discuss these very vital and critical issues? I wanted to get the ball and conversation rolling with this message and hopefully it will be growth enhancing and a positive learning experience for all of us.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me.
Robert W. Brown, President