For Immediate Release
June 2, 2020

MNAPABA and NAPABA Stand in Solidarity with the Black Community

The events of the past few weeks—the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, as well as numerous incidents of explicit bigotry, bias, and brutality—are nothing less than disturbing and heartbreaking. The Minnesota Asian Pacific American Bar Association (MNAPABA) and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) stand in solidarity with our Black neighbors in the Twin Cities and beyond.

We demand change. When there is an imbalance of power, our position as members of the Bar and our understanding of the rule of law makes it even more critical that we stand strong against any form of injustice. We recognize the generational failures of our government and criminal justice systems in protecting the Constitutional and human rights afforded to Blacks.

We must address deeply rooted racism in our society. We must work to create trust and fairness in our legal system by addressing systemic bias in the law to safeguard civil rights, civil liberties, and justice for all individuals regardless of race, ethnicity, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religious background, or immigration status.

MNAPABA and NAPABA stand in solidarity with the Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers (MABL) and the National Bar Association (NBA) as they seek justice and reform at a local and national level. We stand in unity with our affiliated Asian Pacific American bars and sister bar associations in speaking out against racism in all its forms.

Download this statement here 

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The Minnesota Asian Pacific American Bar Association (MNAPABA) is a community of Minnesota Asian Pacific American and Asian lawyers that supports one another, celebrates each others’ accomplishments, creates opportunities for dialogue on issues of importance to APAs, and highlights APA issues to the legal community at large. MNAPABA is an affiliate of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA).

The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) represents the interests of approximately 50,000 legal professionals and nearly 90 national, state, and local Asian Pacific American bar associations. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. Through its national network, NAPABA provides a strong voice for increased diversity of the federal and state judiciaries, advocates for equal opportunity in the workplace, works to eliminate hate crimes and anti-immigrant sentiment, and promotes the professional development of people of color in the legal profession.

APA Solidarity Statements:

Asian American Bar Association of Houston | Download here

Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Colorado | Download here

Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Tampa Bay | Download here

Asian Pacific American Bar Association of South Florida | Download here

Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Pennsylvania | Download here

Japanese American Bar Association | Download here

Asian Pacific American Bar Association of the Greater Washington, D.C. Area | Download here

Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Silicon Valley | Download here

Greater Orlando Asian American Bar Association | Download here

Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area | Download here

Korean American Bar Association of Northern California | Download here

South Asian Bar Association of Northern California | Download here

Asian Bar Association of Washington | Download here

Korean American Bar Association of Southern California | Download here

Asian Pacific American Women Lawyers Alliance | Download here

South Asian Bar Association of Southern California | Download here

Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles | Download here

Georgia Asian Pacific American Bar Association | Download here