FROM THE
PRESIDENT
Jonathan H. Katz, Esq. | Hill Wallack, LLP
jkatz@hillwallack.com
Before we dive into this month’s column, I want to take a minute to acknowledge the hard work and dedication that went into making our 2021 Annual Conference & Expo a success. Back in January, we literally had no idea if we would be able to have an in-person conference or, if we did, what it would look like. Fast forward to June 16th and 17th, and not only was the conference a success, but it went off without a hitch. None of this could have been possible without the efforts of both our chapter staff as well as our Conference & Expo Committee, chaired by the indefatigable Carol Shenk. And now, back to our regularly scheduled column…
This past January, I was privileged to attend the CAI College of Community Association Lawyers (“CCAL”) Law Seminar, which was held virtually due to the pandemic. I have been lucky enough to have attended four of the last five previous Law Seminars, which are always a great mix of education, networking, and collegiality among community association attorneys from across the country. While it was different to participate virtually this year, the CCAL planning committee outdid itself with timely and relevant seminars discussing a wide variety of topics.
For me, the highlight for this year’s Law Seminar was a program titled, “Agents of Change: Overcoming Racism in Community Associations,” which was presented by Wil Washington, Esq., Leah K. Burton, Esq., and Noelle Hicks, Esq. It discussed topics related to racism and discrimination, including a history of how racism and restrictive covenants have affected community associations and a discussion on HUD’s new harassment regulations.
In my opinion, however, the most interesting part of their presentation was the discussion regarding how we, as those involved in the community association industry, can become educated to help to effectuate change when these types of situations arise in our communities. Whether it is related to racial microaggressions, to implicit bias, to dealing with harassment complaints or politically charged signs, we should all be learning how to become aware and accountable for our actions, modify our behavior where appropriate, and adopt practices that support equality in our associations.
In what turned out to be a continuation of this important conversation, our chapter welcomed Melissa DePino and
8 July | August 2021
Michelle Saahene, who presented a virtual session on April 27, 20201 during our annual State of the Industry event. This session, titled “From Privilege to Progress – Desegregating the Public Conversation about Race and Racism,” revolved around the events of April 12, 2018, when two African American men were arrested at a Starbucks in Philadelphia while waiting for a business associate to arrive and – ostensibly – for not buying a coffee.
By chance, both Melissa and Michelle were at that Starbucks that day. Michelle was the first person to speak up, and Melissa tweeted the video, which went viral with over 13 million views. From there it to set off an international story and sparked a dialogue on what racism looks like today. As a result, Melissa and Michelle started “From Privilege to Progress,” which calls on all Americans to join on the path to antiracism by learning, speaking up in their everyday lives, and amplifying the voices of people of color.
Melissa and Michelle addressed all of these issues in their program and, what stuck with me were a few very poignant themes, including the discussion of what privilege looks like and Melissa’s comment that, “racism is not the shark, it’s the water.” If you are interested in
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