COMMUNITY
Dawn Smith ( L ) and Kristen Files ( R ) of Smith & Files , LLC
Supremacy ,” recorded during the unrest following the deaths of George Floyd , Breonna Taylor , and Ahmaud Arbery . Peppered with their own family and practice histories , the whole series rests on sharing who they are , what they have learned , and what they value . Says Dawn , “ Our work is heavy and hard in a world that is heavier and harder . We hope we can raise kids and help others to do so with the least possible damage so our citizenry will have a chance . We also want people in the majority to realize that we all become more fully human when we realize how our fellow humans experience the world .” Kristen expresses her hopes in leadership terms : “ Lawyers have the higher education , access , resources , and privilege for leadership . How can you lead others if you don ’ t acknowledge their experiences or the systemic barriers that provide access to some and not to others , including in the legal profession ?”
" To move from superficial to successful racial dialogue requires recalibrating one ’ s own expectations and behaviors ."
Through “ Untying the Knots ,” Smith & Files aims to serve families in distress by exposing the partners ’ vulnerabilities even as they offer expert legal guidance . There is profound humility here , as well as candor , grace , and humor . In this time of racial reckoning , these partners offer more than how to disengage from a spouse . They offer listeners and the legal profession a pathway beyond racial knots and messes to richer , more authentic relationships with others . _____________________________________________________
1
Among the literature , Dawn and Kristen recommend Michelle Alexander , The New Jim Crow : Mass Incarceration in the age of Colorblindness ( 10th anniv . ed . 2020 ); Robin DiAngelo , White Fragility : Why It ' s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism ( 2018 ); and Ibram X . Kendi , How To Be An Anti-Racist ( 2019 ).
2
American Bar Ass ’ n , ABA Profile Of The Legal Profession 2020 33 – 34 , 109 ( July 28 , 2020 ), https :// www . americanbar . org / news / reporter _ resources /
profile-of-profession / ( last visited Nov . 2 , 2020 ). www . atlantabar . org THE ATLANTA LAWYER 27