On February 22, 2017, I had the pleasure of hearing Attorney Carlos Moore speak at the “Activism as an Attorney” event at the University of Mississippi. Dr. Moore spoke about his personal experiences as a civil rights attorney. He encouraged his audience to always take a stand and never be afraid to fight for what is right regardless of the presented circumstances. He even stated that, “If God brings you to it, he will bring you through it.” Without hesitation, Dr. Moore explained how African-Americans deserved the right to be treated as first class citizens because we are just as good as anyone else. He discussed a few of the major cases that he was able to make contributions too. This event was very beneficial for me personally …show more content…
Although some individuals may have taken Dr. Moore’s words and translated them differently, I believe they were very beneficial for African-American individuals who are considering a career as an attorney or those who are simply interested in civil rights. One topic that Attorney Moore focused on was the issue about the state flag. He informed listeners that on February 29, 2016, he filed a lawsuit against Governor Phil Bryant in order to get the state flag removed. He believes that the flag violates the fourteenth amendment and symbolizes a horrible past. Rape, lynching, murder, and even offensive are only a few words that he believed the flag was symbolic of in the past and in the present. In addition, Attorney Moore stated how Governor Phil Bryant exclaimed that February would be considered as Confederate Heritage Month, a month that is already declared as Black History Month. Dr. Moore insisted that the governor …show more content…
I was the only undergraduate present, and I believe the message could have encouraged several other students. For instance, Dr. Moore even discussed how he previously had unsatisfying encounters with law simply because he drove a BMW. He explained how he was often pulled over when he was not breaking any law. It was interesting to hear how he was instantly labeled as a threat or a drug dealer simply because he was black man driving an expensive car. During one of his encounters, the officer told him his tint was too dark. However, his car was not even tinted. His encounters are proof that the African-American community can use as many voices as possible and that we should never