Our 2021-2023 Board Co-Chair, Ross D’Emanuele, has had a great start to his term! We chatted with Tom to hear more about why he’s involved with Twin Cities Diversity in Practice.

Why or how did you get involved with TCDIP?

My colleague Cornell Moore asked me if I might be interested in joining the Board.  I was immediately interested.

What was one of your first TCDIP memories or connections?

During my first Board meeting we had a terrific discussion about how TCDIP should respond to efforts to ban foreign nationals from predominantly Muslim countries from traveling to the U.S.    I was so impressed with my new colleagues on the Board, and it really catalyzed my interest in TCDIP.

What is one of your favorite TCDIP programs or events?

Whatever social or volunteer event is next on the calendar is my favorite!

How can white allies support diversity, equity and inclusion work?

I ask myself that question almost daily.   There is no single answer.  I think you have to listen, learn, and speak and act with empathy while realizing you will never fully understand someone else’s experience.  You have to tell people why you care.

And at least for me maybe most important is to keep asking how you can improve:  you can’t get dejected when you feel like you didn’t do enough or didn’t say the exact right thing.  You’ll never be a perfect ally, but it’s the trying to be that matters.

As an ally, what perspective do you bring to TCDIP’s leadership team?

I always start with the fact that I’m involved in TCDIP because I care about affecting positive change in the Twin Cities legal community, my own firm, and my community.   You have to recognize that your racial and gender identity is there, and that those things impact the way you process information and make decisions.   But I’ve never thought that TCDIP needs my particular identity perspective or that my perspective brings anything particular unique.  If you work collaboratively and respectfully with others who share the same goals, then it is not contradictory to say both that the work product is ultimately stronger when it’s the product of diverse perspectives, and that the work product is more about the shared goals.

How do you think TCDIP will grow in the next two years?

TCDIP will grow in program areas and activities as well as membership.   But more importantly will be the growth in perception within the legal community that TCDIP is an important asset.   TCDIP is the place where the legal community can, collaboratively and collectively, work on the diversity, equity, and inclusion issues that are critical for all of us.  There is tremendous leverage and a history of collaboration at TCDIP.  I’m hopeful that will be utilized in ever more impactful ways.

What’s one TCDIP program or initiative that you wish more people knew about?

That would be the Wanton Injustice Legal Detail, or WILD.   I’m so eager to grow that program and increase the number of activities and volunteer lawyers.  We will all be hearing much more about WILD in the coming months!