You might not have heard of the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys, but the organization has been active since 1981. It is a voluntary Bar Association of the some of the most powerful Black female lawyers and judicial officials in the state. The group concentrates its activities on the issues of women and children and empowering the community across the state. On Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016, the group, which numbers 1,000 members, installed its new officers for the year at Spelman College in the Camille Olivia Hanks Cosby Auditorium. The impact of Black lawyers could be seen on the faces of those gathered to share their common vision this year: “Galvanized to Change Georgia and the World.”
Spelman College President Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell opened the meeting recognizing the impact of the organization on the campus of the historically Black women’s college. The mentorship program instituted by GABWA has assisted hundreds of Spelmanites in pursuit of a law degree and admittance to graduate studies program since its inception in 1981. GABWA has active mentorship programs, shadowing of legal professionals and law school counseling available for students on and off campus.
The new president of GABWA, Janet C. Scott, Esq., spoke of the commitment of the organization to build economic power, help the community when it comes to issues of women and children and to become not only a local but a global presence. The keynote speaker was the Rev. LaKeesha Walrond of First Corinthian Baptist Church in New York. Along with her husband, the Rev. Michael Walrond, she grew the church from a 300-member congregation to over 9,000 members. She chose as her subject matter women in the Bible who changed the world. Rev. Walrond noted that out of the 1,369 names in the Bible that only 188 were women and yet they impacted the world. The members of GABWA she noted are part of that continuing legacy.
To find out more about the activities of GABWA visit the organization’s website at www.gabwa.org.
