KTLA News: "Press conference with Black Law Journal editor Barbara Williams" (1971)

I think black lawyers aware of the black experience coming out of that experience and going through uh law schools and legal institutions begin must begin to create different legal theories we the acceptance of of of such phrases as due process is meaningless when a man's property can be taken from him so easily when he's black and when he's poor uh when the interest of most when the resources legal resources in this country are used principally for the interests of the corporations of of commercial concerns of the affluent and when a man stands before a court of law um if he's black and if he's poor his rights are not the same as that of rich black lawyers understand that and they must become advocates for the people in a totally different way and the good part it's so short when you come right down ask me easy Revenue sharing and welfare reform must be critically analyzed by black lawyers for their effect on black people what does welfare reform mean to black people does it mean $600 million to lock heed or does it mean a few crumbs to a number of people the most important thing about the Black Law Journal will is that it will be a forum for a new breed of legal activists prepared to share their knowledge with those concerned with black Community Development emphasis in the journal will be on such practical problems such age-old problems such unre resolved problems as housing Health Economic Development bail reform civil rights of prisoners and other areas affecting the quality of urban life I think that these in this country use of legal skills in the courtroom law is political in many ways and when we begin to realize that 4,000 black lawyers cannot begin to speak to the needs of of 2 5 million people you have to begin to think about black people all all around the country aware of what their legal rights are when you take a man um release Here you say a new black movement promising to collide with Nixon's Law and Order policy uh would you give us a little more details on that do just mean you're against Law and Order I think the black people are for Law and they're for order but they're they're not for for order without law and I think the president and and I I I don't want to focus on the president because I think the uh legal institutions need change Beyond President Nixon but I think the president's uh use of Law and Order is not in the best interest of black people although the estimates are that black people are most often affected by crimes of violence and they clearly have an interest in Law and Order but not the kind of Law and Order which politicians mouth the new breed of black lawyer will begin to critically analyze those statements and many others that will be made as we moved toward 1972 by politicians by expedient politicians who act in their interest but not in the interest of black people can our legal system be changed to provide this Law and Order that you desire I think the black attorneys putting pressure pressure on the system of justice not alone but with many many black people more aware of their rights can do it but I don't think black lawyers alone can do it so therefore the Black Law Journal doesn't emphasize lawyers communicating with lawyers lawyers acting in the interest of people but lawyers enabling people to act in their own behalf when those when those many people start standing up and talking about their health housing welfare and other U problems affected by Lawless administrative agencies acting in a very AR in very arbitrary ways around this country that you're talking about a legal system that that's that's going to have to change it's going to have to bend it's going to have to be more flexible it's going to have to take their interest into account M Williams