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IU Kelley School of Business – IUPUI
Indiana University Maurer School of Law, 1991
Why did you decide to enter the legal profession?
Back when I was a child, my parents made me aware of the importance of legal and civil rights, which emerged from the civil rights movement. In their minds, the law was the key conduit that afforded educational, housing and employment opportunities for me, my sisters and my community. This awareness and respect triggered my desire to enter the legal profession.
What does “diversity, equity and inclusion” mean to you?
As Nelson Mandela put it, “I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live in harmony and with equal opportunity.”
How did you get involved in DEI work, and why have you stuck with it?
Back in the late 1980s, after I received my master’s degree in education, I worked at the University of California, Davis. My supervisor asked my partner and I to create an educational training program for our peers that would provide them with an opportunity to stretch and grow their awareness of DEI. It had never been done before, so there was a bit of trepidation. But it was a tremendous success — and it became the impetus of a series of workshops on campus. I have stuck with it because it is challenging work that needs to be done.
What would you say to someone who perceives “DEI” as a business “buzzword”?
I would not be offended. Rather, I would be curious and would ask the person why they have this misperception. Then, I would intently and respectfully listen with an aim to understand any differing viewpoints and hopefully garner a level of trust that opens the door for a constructive conversation. To me, the “I” in DEI means I must conscientiously strive to respect differing viewpoints while doing the best I can to illuminate the facts and benefits about DEI and diminish misnomers.
What is the most significant change you have seen in the legal profession since you began your career?
There are 11 Black women serving as judges on the federal appeals courts, including Doris L. Pryor, the first Black jurist from Indiana to ever to serve on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.
I cried tears of joy and pride as I watched Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s induction into the United States Supreme. This is significant change in the legal profession, and I am all for it!
What is the best advice you have ever received?
Self-confidence is especially important. But without compassion and humility, it is just arrogance. Be proud but stay humble.
How do you spend your free time?
I enjoy spending time with my family, cooking (especially Southern classics), watching sports and listening to all genres of music that make me happy!
What was your favorite — and least favorite — class in law school?
My favorite class was Constitutional Law (professor Lauren Robel). My least favorite class was UCC (great professor though).
You have been a leader of IU Maurer’s BLSA Alumni Advisory Board. Why is it important to you to stay connected with that group?
IU Maurer’s Black Law Students Association Alumni Advisory Board is a composite of committed alums who have a passion for responsive service and empowering of current Black law students. It is important for Black law students to have roles models who not only look like them, but who have walked their walk as law students and currently are walking the walk of success in the field of law.
How does your work in academia provide opportunities to promote DEI efforts?
Every single class provides me with unique opportunities to purposefully foster equity and inclusion within an excellent learning environment for a diverse range of students at the Kelley School of Business-IUPUI.
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