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It was 1984 — the year The Cosby Show aired its pilot episode, and when I met Clair Huxtable. She was a mom. A lawyer. She had a voice and she used it. The Cosbys were my TV family.
Shortly thereafter, I had to write a school essay about what I wanted to be when I grew up. Y’all know the deal. By that time, I’d already written my first children’s story. I knew I was a writer. But Clair inspired me. I thought maybe I should be a lawyer.
I shared my essay with an attorney who told me that my “Road to Clair” movement would be tough. He explained that there were lots of kids who would grow up to become lawyers, and there would be a shortage of work for me. At that moment, my “Road to Clair” ended. Fast-forward to today — there is a huge need for lawyers.
To answer the call, there is a new group of black lawyers making a splash with a movement they’ve named Black Lawyers Matter. Their roads are just beginning.
According to their Facebook page, they want to “change the narrative while influencing others.”
Several colleges have joined the movement, posting photos of graduating law students sporting the T-shirts.
Congratulations for staying the course and not giving up. Clair would be proud.