| Dear Friends,
Happy Black History Month from Bet Tzedek! Every month, but this month in particular, is a time for honoring the rich cultural heritage and foundational contributions of African Americans upon which our country is indebted. As legal advocates, we tend to focus on the history of American law and jurisprudence, and the African Americans who shaped both. Awareness of that history is paramount, as our constant vigilance of the law in the effort to promote justice cannot succeed without an understanding of how the law was constructed, oftentimes to create the very structural injustices which we are currently working to dismantle.
For example, we must understand — and call out — the racist underpinnings of Social Security and the work of Charles Hamilton Houston to combat the racist architecture of the law when today we decide when and how we deploy our resources to advocate on Social Security matters. It is important we know of Los Angeles’ dark history of redlining, segregation, and racially motivated zoning laws, as well as the history of Black-owned newspapers and newspaper publishers like Charlotta Bass that shed the light on what was happening and spread awareness of the early legal victories to combat this scourge. Our knowledge of that history informs the work of Bet Tzedek’s Housing Justice team, and it is our knowledge of that history that forms the basis for Bet Tzedek’s efforts to embark on a partnership with the UCLA School of Law to support post-graduate fellows engaging in estate planning in communities of color.
Throughout February, we’ll be shining a spotlight on prominent Black legal figures and historical events. Check out and follow our social media accounts, displayed at the bottom of this news digest, to stay up-to-date with our daily posts for BHM and beyond.
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Four BHM Figures Everyone Should Know
We want to revisit a few key figures whose work serves as an inspiration to us here at Bet Tzedek. These individuals have made and are making a huge difference, from bringing the concept of critical race theory and intersectionality into the mainstream to being a historic figure whose fight to end segregation on our Supreme Court has a lasting effect.
Kimberlé Crenshaw, law professor at UCLA School of Law and Columbia Law School. As a Black feminist legal theorist and civil rights advocate, she coined the terms “critical race theory” and “intersectionality.”
Thurgood Marshall, the Supreme Court’s first African American justice, nominated in 1967. He was a civil rights activist who used the courts to dismantle segregation and — before his judicial service — successfully argued landmark cases before the Supreme Court, including Brown v. Board of Education.
Dorothy E. Roberts, author, lawyer, professor, and social justice advocate. Roberts lectures and writes about gender, race, and class in legal issues. She also covers topics such as reproductive health, child welfare, and bioethics.
Derrick Bell, lawyer, professor, theorist, and civil rights activist. Bell worked as a prominent lawyer on hundreds of school desegregation cases. His ideas and scholarship as an academic were foundational to “critical race theory.”
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Join Our 2023 Annual Dinner Gala on April 4th
Please join us on April 4th for Bet Tzedek’s 2023 Annual Dinner Gala. Prior to the pandemic, more than 1,000 attorneys, community leaders, Bet Tzedek staff and board members, banking and financial services professionals, and philanthropists gathered to remind us what is possible when we combine our efforts and commit to something greater than ourselves. In 2022, we were so glad to be able to gather together again with more than 500 attendees.
At the 2023 Dinner Gala, we are proud to be honoring longtime board member and immediate past board president, David J. Schindler, Esq., with Bet Tzedek’s Luis Lainer Founder’s Award. We are thrilled to announce our 2023 Rose L. Schiff Commitment to Justice Award honoree, Chief Justice of the State of California (ret), Tani Cantil-Sakauye. And the Bet Tzedek staff will honor their colleague, Elder Justice attorney Dominique Sanz-David, Esq., with the Jack H. Skirball Community Justice Award.
Proceeds from the event provide general operating support for the organization, ensuring our ability to provide programmatic services to upwards of 100,0000 low-income Angelenos who we serve each year.
We hope that you will be a part of this very special evening.
5:30-6:30pm – Reception
6:45pm – Dinner and Program
Location: Fairmont Century Plaza
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Help Undocumented Foster Kids Rescind Their Outstanding Deportation Orders [New Initiative!]
In 2019, Bet Tzedek established a unique partnership with the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to represent undocumented foster children in their immigration matters. Bet Tzedek’s clients qualify for Special Immigrant Juvenile status by virtue of having been abused, abandoned, or neglected by their parents. Sadly, for many of our clients, their parents' neglect extended to their immigration matters. As a result, many children received deportation orders in absentia for having failed to attend their immigration hearings. With a deportation order, they are unable to pursue lawful status and obtain the safety and stability they so desperately need. Bet Tzedek currently represents over thirty foster children with removal orders.
Pro bono attorneys who take on a case will advocate for the child in securing government consent to file a Joint Motion to Reopen immigration proceedings, and ultimately work to have the deportation case dismissed. If government consent cannot be secured, the pro bono attorney should be prepared to move forward with a more detailed Motion to Reopen. We welcome attorneys with any background and level of experience to join us in this project. Many of our clients speak fluent English, but Spanish fluency (or ability to secure an interpreter) is also helpful. Bet Tzedek's team of immigration lawyers will provide mentorship, support, and sample materials.
If you want to learn more or are considering taking on this case, please join us at our virtual training on February 20 at 12pm. If interested, contact Director of Pro Bono Programs, Sara Levine, at slevine@bettzedek.org.
Sample Case:
Kendra is a seventeen-year-old girl from El Salvador who, along with her mother, was stopped at the U.S. border as a young child. They were issued a notice to appear and placed in removal proceedings. While in the U.S., Kendra’s mother began dating an abusive man. They fled his violence, living in a car for about a year. Kendra’s mother failed to attend a removal hearing and they were ordered removed in absentia.
Kendra was eventually placed with her aunt through foster care. She was then able to re-enroll in school, start therapy, and even started a crochet club, knitting hats for the homeless.
Working with Bet Tzedek, Kendra qualified for and has been granted Special Immigrant Juvenile Status. She is not eligible to adjust to lawful permanent residence because of her outstanding removal order. She is also at risk of deportation.
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Former BT Fellow Archie Roundtree, Jr. Making Big Strides!
From Seatle University Alumni Awards: To find a person who’s deeply motivated to give back and improve the world around them, look no further than Archie Roundtree, Jr.
After graduating with a doctorate degree from the School of Law, Roundtree focused on a public law career serving underprivileged communities in Los Angeles County at Bet Tzedek Legal Services as an Equal Justice Works Fellow. He also simultaneously served as a Shriver Center: Racial Justice Institute Fellow.
His proclivity toward service has manifested in many ways. In his current role at Justice in Aging, Roundtree works to advance equity for low-income older adults while pursuing systemic change in law and policy. Additionally, Roundtree lends his time with underserved communities that have limited access to legal advice. He has long been a mentor to students, guiding them through educational and career choices and advising them on legal and financial literacy. Roundtree has found his voice and continues to speak on local, regional, and national platforms. READ MORE.
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