hen
most of us think of the courthouse at 60 Centre Street in lower
Manhattan,
it
conjures up less-than-thrilling images of such things as filing
legal papers, jury duty, and trials. Not so on a recent Friday.
Between 12:15 PM and 2:15 PM, as soon as you entered the building
you were greeted by the pleasing sounds of music, talk, and laughter
and the mouthwatering aroma of delicious food, all emanating from
the rotunda.
The
occasion was the third annual "Celebrating Unity in Diversity,"
organized by the Anti-bias Committee of the New York State Supreme
Court and the New York County Clerk's Office. It got off to a
rousing start with a presentation by the New York State Court's Pipe
and Drum Band, all of whom looked really spiffy in their kilts as
they performed traditional songs that accented themes of harmony,
equality, diversity, and togetherness.
Next,
the Honorable Jacqueline Silbermann, the Chief Administrative Judge
of the Supreme Court - Civil Part, graciously welcomed everyone and
thanked the organizers for their excellent job in putting the event
together. She then introduced what they’ve dubbed the "Courthouse
Vocalists" from the recent talent show, Erma Dine Worsley, Sydorna
Sherrod, Terrell Lane, and Louise Nicholas, who sang "What a
Wonderful World" and led everyone in a sing-along of "America the
Beautiful."
Then it was officially lunchtime. Everyone began
eagerly filling their plates from the tables laden with scrumptious
food representing the different cultures and backgrounds of the
people working at the courthouse. The sponsoring organizations
included the Asian American Bar Association of New York, the Korean
American Lawyers Association, and the Brehon (Irish) Law Society as
well as the Jewish Lawyers Guild, the Protestant Lawyers Association
and the Gay-Straight Alliance of the New York State Courts. Such
organizations as the New York City Chapter of the Association of
Secretaries to Supreme Court Justices, the Association of Surrogates
and Supreme Court Reporters, the National Employment Lawyers
Association, and the New York Women’s Bar Association also served up
abundant goodies representing their diverse members.
As
Ross Upshaw, Chief Court Reporter of the Supreme Court of the State
of New York and Co-Chair of the Anti-bias Committee, stated, the
reason they hold this festivity each year is to open people up and
give them a chance to experience other people’s cultures. "There are
so many people from different backgrounds who work here in this
courthouse," he stated. "But often we don’t get a chance to meet,
or, when we do, we’re rushing in and out and don't have time for
fellowship. This gives us that opportunity."
The other Co-Chair of the Anti-bias Committee,
Judge John Stackhouse, commented, "We all work hard together, so
it’s great to also have some fun together. It builds friendships,
and it just gets better every year."
Among
the thirty plus organizations co-sponsoring the event was the
Metropolitan Black Bar Association (MBBA), a 22-year-old association
that came into being when the Harlem Lawyers Association and the
Bedford Stuyvesant Lawyers Association merged. As the organization’s
President, Nadine Johnson, explained, the MBBA is comprised mostly
of Black attorneys from this country and from the Caribbean and
Africa. Their purpose is 1) to advance equality and excellence in
the pursuit of justice, 2) assist with the progress of Blacks and
other people of color in the profession, 3) address legal issues
affecting the citywide community, and 4) encourage the personal and
professional development of young lawyers and law students.
Joining Johnson was MBBA Special Assistant,
Charmaine Goulbourne, who is originally from Jamaica. She spoke of
the need they see to make sure that everyone gets fair legal
representation. "We want our Caribbean brothers and sisters to know
about the MBBA and to know that that they can get assistance even if
they don't have a large amount of money," she said. "If they have
any legal problem, we're always here to help. We will either have
someone who can represent them or we will refer them to someone else
who can."
Pointing
to the value she sees in this annual celebration of "Unity in
Diversity," MBBA Office Manager Rosalind Quay said that she believes
these events have an excellent outcome because they promote
continuing diversity in the legal profession. And, seeing that there
are many people who attend the festivity who don’t work at the
courthouse, she noted, "These gatherings are also an excellent way
to help the general public find out about organizations such as ours
that exist to assist them."
it
conjures up less-than-thrilling images of such things as filing
legal papers, jury duty, and trials. Not so on a recent Friday.
Between 12:15 PM and 2:15 PM, as soon as you entered the building
you were greeted by the pleasing sounds of music, talk, and laughter
and the mouthwatering aroma of delicious food, all emanating from
the rotunda.
The
occasion was the third annual "Celebrating Unity in Diversity,"
organized by the Anti-bias Committee of the New York State Supreme
Court and the New York County Clerk's Office. It got off to a
rousing start with a presentation by the New York State Court's Pipe
and Drum Band, all of whom looked really spiffy in their kilts as
they performed traditional songs that accented themes of harmony,
equality, diversity, and togetherness.
Next,
the Honorable Jacqueline Silbermann, the Chief Administrative Judge
of the Supreme Court - Civil Part, graciously welcomed everyone and
thanked the organizers for their excellent job in putting the event
together. She then introduced what they’ve dubbed the "Courthouse
Vocalists" from the recent talent show, Erma Dine Worsley, Sydorna
Sherrod, Terrell Lane, and Louise Nicholas, who sang "What a
Wonderful World" and led everyone in a sing-along of "America the
Beautiful."
As
Ross Upshaw, Chief Court Reporter of the Supreme Court of the State
of New York and Co-Chair of the Anti-bias Committee, stated, the
reason they hold this festivity each year is to open people up and
give them a chance to experience other people’s cultures. "There are
so many people from different backgrounds who work here in this
courthouse," he stated. "But often we don’t get a chance to meet,
or, when we do, we’re rushing in and out and don't have time for
fellowship. This gives us that opportunity."
Among
the thirty plus organizations co-sponsoring the event was the
Metropolitan Black Bar Association (MBBA), a 22-year-old association
that came into being when the Harlem Lawyers Association and the
Bedford Stuyvesant Lawyers Association merged. As the organization’s
President, Nadine Johnson, explained, the MBBA is comprised mostly
of Black attorneys from this country and from the Caribbean and
Africa. Their purpose is 1) to advance equality and excellence in
the pursuit of justice, 2) assist with the progress of Blacks and
other people of color in the profession, 3) address legal issues
affecting the citywide community, and 4) encourage the personal and
professional development of young lawyers and law students.
Pointing
to the value she sees in this annual celebration of "Unity in
Diversity," MBBA Office Manager Rosalind Quay said that she believes
these events have an excellent outcome because they promote
continuing diversity in the legal profession. And, seeing that there
are many people who attend the festivity who don’t work at the
courthouse, she noted, "These gatherings are also an excellent way
to help the general public find out about organizations such as ours
that exist to assist them."
