tell a little about yourself?

I am an Atlanta native, born and raised, and a graduate of Morris Brown College. I earned my law degree from the Loyola University School of Law in New Orleans, Louisiana, earning top honors in the Loyola Law Clinic. I am a member of the State Bar of Georgia where I serve on three standing committees (Vice-Chair, Communications; Editorial Board of the Georgia Bar Journal, and the Advisory Committee on Legislation) and Past Co-Chair of the Committee on Inclusion in the Profession. I am a member of the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, the United States Supreme Court Historical Society, and the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

what sets you apart as a speaker?

I think of myself as more than just a lawyer. I am a “public citizen” always thinking about social conditions and the events that affect our everyday lives. It was, I guess, only a matter of time before these private thoughts would turn into public conversations. However, I do not speak because I think I have something to say; I speak because there is something I wish I could hear.

what do you mean when you say you are a “composer and conductor of ideas”?

There is a rhythm behind our civic wants and our social needs. How it all fits together reminds me of a symphony orchestra; disparate pieces assembled by a grand thought to form one cohesive whole. There is a way to showcase all of the elements that go into making us who we say we are - and who we have allowed ourselves to be. That’s what writing and speaking does, and I enjoy crafting how these things play themselves out and I am intrigued by directing a set of ideas that help us see how we can be better players.

what is your favorite thing you have done?

I really love writing. I have two books I am proud of: By the Content of Our Character: A Declaration of Independence for Colored Folks, Negroes, Black People, and African Americans and Thy Will Be Done: An African American Guide to Estate Planning. I have written several articles in the Georgia and National Bar Journals, and a major scholarly piece entitled A Constitutional Window to Interpretive Reason: Or in Other Words...The Ninth Amendment. I have my podcast called Hidden Legal Figures and there are a few new ideas brewing. But my absolute favorite came back in 2012, working with my daughter on our spoken word project - The Race Track. Teaming up with her tops them all!