To celebrate Black History Month 2022, the CBA's YLS D&I committee is shining a spotlight on local Black attorneys in the Greater Cincinnati legal community. CBA members nominated Black attorneys for recognition, and YLS D&I committee co-chairs Jenna Heaphy and Zachary el-Sawaf conducted interviews to learn more about them.
Meet Yvette Simpson, attorney at Ulmer & Berne LLP.
1. What does representation mean to you in the legal field? Representation matters because you can't be what you can't see. As a Black woman, we have been historically underrepresented in the profession, and we are still underrepresented, particularly in law firm leadership roles and the judiciary. I hope people see me, in the places I lead, and believe they can do what I do, and even more. There were so many Black women who modeled how to navigate the challenging waters of this profession, and helped me believe I could be successful.
2. What advice would you give to other Black attorneys or law school students following in your footsteps? Work hard, be yourself every day, and do not forget to reach back. What I mean by reaching back is that once you become a lawyer, law students look up to you; once you become a law student, college students look up to you -- you can be a mentor and be an example even if you think you are too young or inexperienced; people are watching you and want to emulate your success. Make sure to build a supportive community for yourself. The best thing I ever did was build a connection with a peer group of Black women lawyers. We would get together and support each other, and we would welcome younger and more senior Black women lawyers in our orbit. Build a circle. If you do not have a personal board of directors, then “your” corporation does not have the support it needs. So, make sure you have a team of people who you can trust, who will tell you the truth, who will say your name in rooms you are not in, who will lead you through tough terrain, and lift you up when you need it.
3. Where have you found the most support, mentorship, or guidance? In so many places. I have three support groups: (1) “Trailblazers”: the women who were in the profession ahead of me who helped me navigate things that I could not see coming down the pike; (2) “Squad”: the people who are in the boat with me. These are people who can relate to my daily struggle, who I can commiserate, strategize, and plan and plot with; (3) “Ride-or-Die”: the people who have known me forever. You need these people because you can lose yourself at times, you can forget why you are doing this and you need people to remind me why you got into this field in the first place. Each group serves a different role. What I think is most essential is having a Squad, that peer support group. We had a great group when I was a young lawyer, but over the years I lost touch with some of them because we moved on with our lives and careers. I encourage newer lawyers to stay connected with their peer group, and take advantage of technology, which allows for continued connection.
4. What has been your greatest achievement outside of law? I have been so fortunate to do so many amazing things. The work that I do now– working with some of the most brilliant, compassionate, committed people, people who will change our country for the better– has been my greatest achievement so far. Politics is tough work, it can be heartbreaking at times, it can feel heavy. There are days that it gets really tough, and I feel like I am carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders, but the people I get to interact with everyday make it worth it.
5. What do you think about when you hear "Black History Month"? I heard someone say this, so I am borrowing it, "Black History is every day for me, and I think this month is for everyone else." I am glad we fought for it and I am glad it exists but we also have to remind people that recognizing the achievements of Black people is not just about 28 days in a month; we must honor Black history every day. I hope we continue to have conversations during this month, and let's also do this every day. Let’s lift up Black leaders in our community, let's remember the struggles and sacrifices of those who came before us, and let's never forget that our work is not done. Let’s do this 365 days a year (366 in a leap year).
6. What does/has Black History Month meant to you (past and present)? It means more to me now than ever because Black history, American history, is under attack. People are actively trying to erase and replace our history with something that is whitewashed, and sugar coated and that does not honor us, our contributions, or our sacrifices. It is dishonorable to pretend that our whole worldview hasn’t been shaped by slavery, Jim Crow, and systemic racism that still exists in our country. This year especially, we have to protect and promote Black history because if we do not, it will be gone from our collective memory. The past couple of years we have seen a rise in very visible and aggressive white supremacy, and a violent attack on the Capitol that was rooted in racism and hate. These incidents demonstrate that acknowledging and celebrating Black history is more important than ever. We must remind everyone that Black history is American history, and it needs to be treated as such. It starts by telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
7. What does being a Black woman mean to you? It is everything. I love being a Black woman. We have always been “magic” and the fact that some people are figuring that out is a beautiful thing, but why did it take so long!? Black women are strong, passionate, powerful and we are vulnerable in ways that it is so necessary. We hold everyone up and we do not leave anyone out. We are connected in a shared oppression and shared struggle-- and have developed a kinship, a sisterhood, and a bond. We have a resilience, strength and determination that most people cannot comprehend. There is something magical about the hopefulness of a Black woman who in the face of persistent racism, sexism, oppression still wakes up every day and says, “Let's go get it.” We are breaking glass and breaking down doors as we fight against systemic racism and sexism, and white and male privilege. I love that Black women are getting the attention we deserve and showing up as ourselves so authentically. I am proud to be a strong, brilliant Black woman.