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Welcome!
I would like to thank all of the members
and supporters who attended our Annual Holiday Party on December
24, 2007 and participated in the officer elections. I am extremely
honored to be serving as your 24th President. I am also
thankful and grateful to the other officers who agreed to serve
with me this year.
This year definitely started with a
bang. We will
be celebrating our Silver Anniversary in 2009 and we have an
exciting year of activities planned to commemorate this milestone. We
have agreed to partner with the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
for a Silver Anniversary Leadership Series to video-record
the history of our veteran African American attorneys, incorporators,
and past presidents. The goal of this leadership series
is to help the organization’s next generation of leaders
define the purpose, goals and activities of the Magic City
Bar. This Leadership Series was the vision of Judge
Eugene Verin and we are extremely appreciative of his efforts
in coordinating this series and helping us to continue the
legacy of leadership started by our incorporators.
As we face new and different problems
in this millennium, it
can become easy to forget why there was a need for the Magic
City Bar and other organizations that preceded it. I
was reminded of this during the first leadership series oral
history presentation on January 12, 2008. It was indeed
enlightening and inspiring to hear veteran members such as
J. Mason Davis, W.L. Williams, the Honorable Ralph D. Cook,
and the Honorable U.W. Clemon talk about the obstacles they
faced and why and how they persevered and continue to practice
and serve as leaders in Birmingham, Alabama.
We also heard from the younger members
of the Magic City Bar (Derrick Mills, Rodney Barganier, Shanta'
Owens, and Chuck Price), who addressed the question of whether
there is still a need for the Magic City Bar. Their answer was a resounding
yes! We need a forum to discuss issues that affect us,
a body that is organized and can come together to give
back to our own community and support fellow members whether
they are running for office or some other endeavor, as well
as a source for networking.
The Magic City Bar Association's commitment
to the community this year includes: providing scholarships
to minority students at Cumberland, Alabama, Miles, and Alabama
Schools of Law; providing a forum to discuss issues that
women of color face as attorneys and judges; providing opportunities
for law students of color to network with practicing attorneys
and judges; and providing continuing legal education for
members. In
addition, this year, we will once again be working in partnership
with the Birmingham Bar Association on Saturday, June 14 to
participate in the SERVICE JURIS joint community service effort
that began last year under the leadership of BBA president,
Anthony Joseph.
Finally, our Judicial Council is up
and running. Under
the leadership of Immediate Past President LaVeeda Morgan Battle
and the Honorable Eugene Verin, the MCBA decided to honor the
longstanding support we have received from members who serve
on the judiciary here in Jefferson County.
I look forward to working with each of you throughout this
year!
Latanishia Watters
2008 MCBA President |
