The tragic murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, and the movements for racial justice that followed, profoundly affected Black attorneys, attorneys of color, our Members, and everyone connected to the work of Twin Cities Diversity in Practice (TCDIP). After the initial flashpoint of grief and rage, organizations across the country renewed their efforts to address our country’s complicated history of systemic racism and its effects within our communities and workplaces.

In the summer of 2020, Darnell Cage and Dadri-Anne Graham, Emerging Leaders Group Co-Chairs at the time, courageously called for action. Leaders from TCDIP’s Board of Directors, and Member Organizations, as well as from the larger Twin Cities legal community worked together to create the Wanton Injustice Legal Detail (WILD) as a supporting 501(c)(3) to TCDIP. WILD is focused on creating a coalition of legal professionals to strategically assist active and effective efforts in our communities. WILD’s work is organized around several focus areas, including eliminating racism in policing, expanding voting rights, addressing racial inequities in education, increasing access to wealth, and more.

For years TCDIP has been committed to diversifying the legal profession in the Twin Cities. TCDIP will continue to provide programming, support, and education to Members to help them attract, recruit, advance, and retain attorneys of color. But now we know it is impossible to achieve our mission unless we are committed to ensuring that the Twin Cities values Black lives. And by focusing on the Black community, we know it will also help to uplift all communities of color.

With the foundation of WILD as a supporting non-profit, TCDIP has a unique opportunity to leverage the power and connections of attorneys and legal professionals from over 80 law firms and corporate legal departments to take direct action to combat systemic racism in the Twin Cities.