AABANY Commemorates Juneteenth

The Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) commemorates Juneteenth, the unofficial holiday marking the declaration of legal freedom for African Americans from slavery. On June 19, 1865, news of the Emancipation Proclamation, which had been issued over two and a half years prior, finally reached African Americans in Texas, which was then the outermost reaches of the Confederacy. Since then, Juneteenth has been dedicated to honoring the bravery and history of African Americans, who continue to fight for social, political, and economic equality. As Asian Americans continue to struggle alongside African Americans to assert common voices for equality and civil rights, we build bridges that bring our two communities together in the shared fight towards greater equity. AABANY celebrates Juneteenth in the spirit of our theme this year: “Stronger Together: Unity in Diversity.”

Below is a list of resources for everyone to use to continue learning. Most of these resources are free or discounted, but if you are able to purchase them, please consider doing so as a way to show support for the work of these Black artists, filmmakers, and writers.

FILMS

13th: Netflix (subscription not needed)

I Am Not Your Negro: Amazon Prime (free)

Just Mercy: Amazon Prime (free), Youtube (free)

Selma: Amazon Prime (free), Youtube (free)

The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution: Amazon Prime (included with subscription)

Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am: Amazon Prime (available to rent for $0.99)

The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975: Amazon Prime (free)

When They See Us: Netflix (included with subscription)

Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland: HBO (included with subscription)
The Hate U Give: Amazon Prime (free), Youtube (free)

ONLINE LIBRARIES

http://www.goldwomyn.com/bilphenasonlinelibrary

https://drive.google.com/drive/mobile/folders/1vJTfZMZvrh3sEpF6unAdi8ZUDYAkgzUt

BOOKS & ESSAYS

The Fire Next Time, James Baldwin

Giovanni’s Room, James Baldwin

Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates

The Warmth of Other Suns, Isabel Wilkerson

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Mildred D. Taylor

The Hate U Give, Angie Thomas

Stamped from the Beginning, Ibram X. Kendi

A People’s History of the United States, Howard Zinn

White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism, Robin DiAngelo

So You Want To Talk About Race, Ijeoma Oluo

The Burning House: Jim Crow and the Making of Modern America, Anders Walker

The New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander

The Condemnation of Blackness, Khalil Gibran Muhammad

How To Be An Antiracist, Ibram X. Kendi

A Different Mirror: History of Multicultural America, Ronald Takaki

AABANY Hosts First Membership Mixer via Zoom on April 1

On April 1, 2020, AABANY held its first Monthly Membership Mixer virtually on Zoom. Over 25 people joined Brian Song, who became the Immediate Past President, and Sapna Palla, who officially became the President of AABANY on the same day.

Brian remarked how it had been a tremendous honor for him to serve as President of AABANY for the past year. He was amazed at how the year went by so quickly and thanked everyone for their support and dedication in making 2019 a successful year for AABANY.

Sapna next spoke about how pleased she was to be taking on the Presidency and how AABANY’s theme of “Stronger Together: Unity in Diversity” is extremely fitting in the current situation. Sapna noted that AABANY is an exceptional community, and by sticking together, we will definitely get through this tough situation. She also encouraged people to reach out to each other professionally and socially via online platforms like Zoom until things return to normal.

Chris Kwok informed attendees about an upcoming webinar he is working on with NAPABA taking place on April 3. The webinar will discuss the rise in racist attacks against Asian Americans fueled by misinformation surrounding the spread of COVID-19 and what we can do to counter them.

Yang Chen and Chris Kwok also discussed the stimulus bill that recently passed to provide economic support to millions of Americans and businesses that are suffering as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. AABANY is working on distilling the bill down to clarify who it covers and the type of relief they are eligible for under the new bill.

Lastly, the virtual floor was opened up to all attendees for a free discussion. Members discussed the current situation and what AABANY can do to engage its members and serve the overall Asian American community in this new normal.

Overall, our first meeting on Zoom was very lively and went smoothly. In the coming weeks, AABANY is planning on hosting more and more programs online, including CLEs and informative webinars. Stay tuned!

Thanks to everyone that attended the mixer.