Excerpts from COE Excel Magazine issue #1
We are proud to announce that we published out first edition of our membership magazine — COE Excel! While the magazine is exclusively for members, we wanted to share excerpts from our various articles.*
I am the Reason I am Here - and We Absolutely Belong
By Jazmyn Taitingfong, Esq.
“If you were really honest with yourself, the only reason you’re here is because you’re brown.” This wasn’t repeated to any of the other white students around me, though I’m sure he didn’t know their backgrounds any better than he knew mine, just our skin color. I’m not the first brown girl to hear such a reductive statement about my abilities and, unfortunately, I won’t be the last.
But what pushes us through, what allows us to rise above those brash and bigoted comments, is the communities we create. The communities of people who have seen what we’ve seen, who’ve been looked down on by teachers, administrators, and their peers solely because of the color of their skin. At The Color of Excellence, we know that no student deserves to feel less than because of their skin color. We know that the triumphs and the trials you persisted through because you have a goal. You have passion. You have a dream. This is the community that will support you, nurture you, while you live out your wildest dreams. A community that tells you if someone empowers you to know that “you’re only here because you’re brown,” you can look back at them with pity, for only the weak and mediocre can’t recognize strength and excellence.
My Name is Who I Am
By Negeen Sadeghi-Movahed, Esq.
My name is Negeen Sadeghi-Movahed. My name is the first badge of honor I ever received. My name is laced with the glory of my heritage. My name is my family’s story. My name is long and unapologetic. My name is a statement.
For many years, I wrestled with the constant, repeated butchering of my name. I could not understand how my teachers would breeze through an attendance list filled with Tylers and Chelseas, but pause in distress when they stumbled upon mine. I could not understand why my tennis coach insisted on calling me “Melissa.” My name doesn’t even remotely resemble “Melissa.” Most of all, I could not understand why some people insisted on giving me, an Iranian-American, a “white nickname.”
Lack of Language Access Too Often Leads to Misinterpretation
By Susanna De La Pava, Esq.
Nervous eyes, anxious looks, eye contact to be sure they are safe and have actually encountered an ally….
Hablas espanol?
Me puedes ayudar?
Pleeeese……una preguntita?
These are the worried words that any public defender who speaks Spanish, or looks like they might, would hear in the pre-pandemic court hallways of New York City on a daily basis. In the urban courthouses where I have been an indigent defender for over two decades, the court system employs multiple certified language interpreters to assist non-English speaking people charged with crimes. Interpreters engage in simultaneous translation of the proceedings at break-neck speed, communicating every word spoken by every party directly to the accused. Most court interpreters are exceptional, highly competent, and patient. They make themselves available before and after cases are called to assist clients and attorneys as they discuss all aspects of their cases. Court interpreters add inflection, character and nuance to the proceedings as they translate. They work ridiculously hard all day long to deal with great volume. They are constantly summoned to competing courtrooms by clerks and court officers; I have witnessed interpreters literally run from one courtroom to another. But this is in the courthouses. There, language access through certified translators is a requirement and a right.
Recognizing Our True Narrative and Moving Forward
By Shekera A. Algarin, Esq.
If the women in my family had let obstacles stop them from learning, improving and growing, they would not have achieved their goals or improved life for themselves and those around them. They wouldn’t have had such an impact upon me. But this isn’t part of the national lexicon and that was shown on Election Day.
Nearly half of our country voted to stay solidly planted in a system that promotes the “perceived” racial superiority of one group over the rest; a system that is fraught with lies, violence and ignorance. A system that continually leaves Black women at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder. Does that mean we will never get past the specter of racism that haunts us on a daily basis; not necessarily. This country does not have to continue to be burdened with a haunting past. We can proceed to dispel the myths and strive, not to perfection, but to our highest potential. That begins by recognizing every culture that has contributed to the multifaceted fabric of our country. Amazingly enough, this is not antithetical to the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness but only pushes us to be greater in a myriad of ways.
Recusal Helps the Oppressor, Never the Oppressed
By Serguel Akiti
Historically, being gay was tantamount to immorality in the eyes of the Catholic Church. A sin to the world. However, in a recent documentary entitled "Francesco," Pope Francis publicly expressed support for same-sex civil unions. While same-sex marriage was legally recognized in 2015 in Obergefell v. Hodges, many of us in the LGBTQ+ community fear that the law could easily be overturned at the hands of a conservative Supreme Court. Despite its significance, many fear that Obergefell may be overturned, and our right to get married may be lost.
As a criminal defense attorney, I am reminded of the disproportionate impact that we, as people of color, face when we are not equally protected by our judicial system. Although same-sex marriage was legally recognized in 2015 in Obergefell v. Hodges, many of us in the LGBTQI+ community fear that same-sex marriage may be overturned by a conservative Supreme Court. We fear that our fundamental right to marry whomever we love may be lost.
*All excerpts are reflections of the personal opinions or experiences of the authors. They are not a reflection of their employer, associations, or The Color of Excellence as a whole.
