​​​​​​​Once again we are compelled by the atrocities perpetrated against our Asian brothers and sisters to speak out against these acts of inhumanity. I am calling upon the UWLA family to align itself in solidarity and support against the cruelty and intolerance that our brothers and sisters are experiencing and enduring.

UWLA is an anti-racist institution. There is no air in our house that gives space to bigotry, hate and disrespect to anyone. As I have said before, we are an institution that prides itself on kindness, respectfulness and peace for all!

Whenever any segment of our family is attacked, it is an attack against all. More importantly to the extent that we leave any members of our family unprotected and unsupported, we are just as guilty as the people committing and perpetrating these despicable acts. We are just as reprehensible as they are, if we are unwilling to step up and defend against injustice and bigoted violence, no matter where it occurs or under what circumstances.

However as lawyers and business leaders, we need to examine the conscience of our society for the underlying reasons for this hatred and fear motivated injustice. What prompts these acts of cruelty that we commit against one another? Only when we are willing to closely examine these underlying systemic societal symptoms of illness, will we be able to combat the irrationality that is fostered by hate.

People don’t hate naturally. Hate is a learned reaction. It is a learned stimulated motivated behavior. It is anti-love. We must examine what is attacking our survivalistic instincts to cause such inhumanity that we perpetrate against one another? How do we embrace it as a society? What insecurities and fears are we protecting or do we feel are threatened such that we make stereotypes and assumptions of our reality? Are we willing to look deep inside our own psyches? Are we afraid of what we will find? Why do we need to make ourselves feel better at the expense of subjugating others?

The violence that has been committed against our Asian brothers and sisters or anyone else for that matter, will not be tolerated ever at UWLA. Any acts of violence or abuse, verbal or physical, directed against anyone will be strenuously dealt with by my office.

UWLA will always be a place of safety, kindness and peace for all who are welcomed into our family and home. My job is to safeguard this home and to make known that there will be strict punishment and confrontation for anyone who we find has evidenced a violation of this principle. I take this responsibility exceptionally personally and I will not back down against any disobedience. I trust and hope that I will not have to be put to the test on my position. I thank you in advance for not trying me on this but more importantly, proactively interacting with everyone within our campus family or otherwise to treat them with dignity, respect, kindness and a positive reverence for their humanity. We want to create and maintain an environment that welcomes everyone into it, irrespective of any immutable characteristics. I welcome the opportunities to explore ways in which we can educate, alert and inform everyone on positive ways to embrace and succor all who might otherwise at anytime be under attack. We are a sanctuary for all and as leaders and lawyers who are trained to uphold justice we can tolerate no less. I have included in this email some information on training as contained in these links.

1. How to make a complaint about a hate crime in Los Angeles County: https://www.211la.org/form/anti-hate

2. How to obtain training on bystander intervention and de-escalation: https://advancingjustice-aajc.us9.list- manage.com/track/click?u=d008ff6fbab1818396f154c8f&id=8e410280a2&e=ed33fe31cf​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

3. How to disseminate your own communications to friends (some resources including graphics):

.https://www.lavshate.org/

As I mentioned earlier and as UWLA has publicly stated as part of our institutional value of equity, UWLA again affirms its position as an antiracist institution. It is not enough in our society for each of us to not act in a racist manner, rather we must hold ourselves and each other to the requirement of acting in an antiracist manner as part of the cost of membership in our society. This was better said over one hundred and fifty years ago by John Stuart Mill when he stated “Let not any one pacify his conscience by the delusion that he can do no harm if he takes no part, and forms no opinion. Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.”

Thanks again for your empathy, understanding and compassion. We will stand united against these attacks and defend wherever necessary.

I remain…

Your humble President,

Robert W. Brown