by Joe Wilhelm Jr.
Staff Writer
Diversity is defined as “difference” or “variety,” and members of the legal community recently met to discuss accepting differences and encouraging variety.
The “Jacksonville Diversity & Inclusion workshop: Journey to Diversity” was May 24 at the Southside location of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida. It was co-hosted by the Jacksonville Asian American Bar Association, Christian Legal Society, D.W. Perkins Bar Association, Hispanic Bar Association of Northeast Florida, Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, The Jacksonville Bar Association, Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association and Florida Coastal School of Law. The workshop received some of its funding from The Florida Bar.
Diversity issues are becoming more and more important as the global marketplace develops and populations are redefined.
Cal Jackson, senior diversity Facilitator for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, was the first guest speaker of the workshop and presented “The Importance of Cultural Competence.” It focused on knowledge, stereotypes/bias and cultural competence; understanding, awareness and empathy; acceptance, receptiveness and respect; and behavior, self-awareness and interpersonal skills.
“We all know the ‘golden rule,’ do unto others as you would have others do unto you,” said Jackson. “I’m going to tell you about the ‘platinum rule,’ do unto others as their needs require.”
Jackson explained that respect has a lot to do with acceptance.
“Respect is making space for those that are different than us, our ways and our perceptions of reality,” said Jackson, who has been a facilitator for the Mayor’s Study Circles Initiative to open dialogue around the city on race relations.
Also speaking at the workshop were Susan Hamilton, vice president, diversity and inclusion, for CSX; Ari Jolly, assistant general counsel for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida; Tiffani Lee, diversity partner of Holland & Knight; Kelly Legier, diversity committee chair for the National Bar Association of Bar Executives; and Daryl Parks of the National Bar Association. The speakers participated in a panel discussion along with former The JBA President and current Diversity Committee Chair Joe Camerlengo. Hamilton moderated the discussion.
The panel was asked why it was difficult to get people involved in a discussion about diversity.
“I’ve found that when you put the term ‘diversity’ on a conference the non-minority people think it’s for minorities and not for them,” said Legier.
The panel was also asked why there is a need for separate bar associations if the Bar continues to work toward supporting diversity.
“The different associations serve different roles,” said Parks. “The role The JBA plays in the judicial selection process is different from the role the D.W. Perkins Bar has.”
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