Dear A Better Chance Community,
The Creating Leaders for a Lifetime Alumni Showcase is here! Join us next Tuesday, September 22, from 7:00 - 8:00 PM EST for the "Civil Rights and Engagement" panel.
Convening policy experts and thought leaders, this session will examine the state of American civil rights activism in 2020. As the nation continues to evolve through the work of Black Lives Matter and increased news and social media coverage of the deaths of Black Americans, our experts will give their insight on the impact and influence of these outlets. The discussion will focus on breaking down the implications of this unprecedented year, as well as provide insight on the future of powerful and sustainable activism.
Live attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions directly to the panelists and participate in chat with fellow community members! Click the link below to join.
Meet the Panelists!
DEBO ADEGBILE
FIELDSTON SCHOOL, 1984
Debo P. Adegbile is a partner in WilmerHale’s Government and Regulatory Litigation group and Co-Chair of the firm’s Anti-discrimination practice. He has significant experience in commercial, government-facing, appellate and United States Supreme Court litigation, as well as in complex investigations and strategic counseling in high-stakes matters. His clients include corporations, trade associations, municipalities and agencies, colleges and universities and other not-for-profit institutions. Debo twice defended the constitutionality of two core provisions of the Voting Rights Act in oral arguments before the United States Supreme Court. Debo was part of the WilmerHale team that successfully defended Harvard University’s admissions policies against a federal challenge in SFFA v. Harvard University.
SHERIA SMITH
THE HOTCHKISS SCHOOL, 2001
Sheria Smith is a civil rights attorney for the U.S. Department of Education. In this role, she represents our country by enforcing Federal laws aimed at preventing discrimination based on race, sex, and disability in schools and other recipients of Department funding. A graduate of Harvard University, Sheria enrolled in Teach for America which reinforced her position that easy access to educational resources is critical for success. Her path led her to enroll in law school at University of Texas in 2007. She graduated and subsequently clerked for the Honorable David C. Godbey of Dallas, TX. In her current role, she investigates claims related to accusations of discrimination in our nation's school system and ensures they return to compliance.
JODY ARMOUR
LOWER MERION
A BETTER CHANCE, 1978
Jody David Armour, Author, Playwright, USC Roy P. Crocker Professor of Law. A widely published scholar and popular lecturer, he is a Soros Justice Senior Fellow of The Open Society Institute’s Center on Crime, Communities and Culture. He has published an award-winning book, Negrophobia and Reasonable Racism and various law review articles. His recent article, “Law, Language and Politics,” 22 University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law 1073 (June 2020).His recent book: N*gga Theory: Race, Language, Unequal Justice, and the Law was released on August 18, 2020.
He teaches a diverse array of subjects, including Criminal Law, Torts, and Stereotypes.
HOST
BERTHA COOMBS
MILTON ACADEMY, 1980
Bertha Coombs is a reporter for CNBC, reporting on financial markets and health care during the business day on television and online. Previously, she was a reporter and anchor for Yahoo Finance Vision online and a freelance reporter for the former CNNfn financial network. Earlier in her career, Coombs reported for ABC News One and was a substitute anchor for “World News Now” and “World News This Morning.” She began as a general news reporter and anchor for WABC-TV in New York, WPLG-TV in Miami and WFSB-TV in Hartford. Coombs was awarded the Leo Beranek Reporter Training Fellowship at WCVB-TV in Boston.
Want to Support Creating Leaders for a Lifetime?
There's still time to purchase sponsorships for Creating Leaders for a Lifetime! With more exciting panels in the works featuring A Better Chance Alumni Roxane Gay, Tochi Onyebuchi, and Bobbito Garcia, the Alumni Showcase is sure to engage and inspire the A Better Chance community like nothing before it! Our Virtual Luncheon will feature our Senior Scholar Award Recipients for an always inspiring program. Be sure to act soon to ensure your organization is listed for all components of Creating Leaders for a Lifetime.
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