Spencer Fane attorney Andy Lester recently co-authored an article in the Tulsa World discussing diversity and civil rights issues.
Titled “Oklahoma Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights issues advisory memorandum on racial disparities in policing on centennial of Tulsa Race Massacre,” the article discusses a report by the Oklahoma Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR) and its role in urging federal, state, and local officials to take action to fix the substantial lack of trust communities of color have toward law enforcement.
The advisory memorandum discussed in the article, “Racial Disparities in Policing,” provided numerous recommendations to strengthen the community based on extensive research gathered from a wide cross-section of experts and perspectives.
Serving as a member of the Oklahoma Advisory Committee to the USCCR, Andy provided a unique perspective on the committee’s process and goals in creating the report. While “[i]ssues of race can be difficult to discuss,” Andy explained in the article, “as a society, we must not fail to have an open, honest discussion.” The article concludes: “Our fervent hope is that our government and community leaders, and members of the public at large, will use our report to continue this important dialogue and make our state an even better place for all.”
In his role on the Oklahoma Advisory Committee, Andy “assist[s] the Commission with its fact-finding, investigative, and information dissemination functions.” The committee brings together a bipartisan and diverse group of local leaders to report on and provide recommendations concerning civil rights issues of statewide importance.
To read the full article, please click here.
