LaLinda Xiong to Manage New Anti-Racism Initiative: Wanton Injustice Legal Detail

MINNEAPOLIS, MN, UNITED STATES, December 9, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Twin Cities Diversity in Practice (TCDIP), is excited to announce the addition of LaLinda Xiong as program manager of its new anti-racism initiative, Wanton Injustice Legal Detail (WILD). The initiative will focus on freeing the Twin Cities of all forms of racism, in particular, anti-Black racism. Xiong will work directly with partner organizations to develop volunteer engagements to further WILD’s important work of eliminating racism in policing, expanding voting rights, addressing racial inequities in education, increasing access to wealth and more.

Xiong previously worked at the Lake Street Council as the Creative Placemaking Coordinator and was a Program Manager for the City of Minneapolis in the Division of Race and Equity. Through this role, Xiong facilitated a youth participatory budgeting process, oversaw the city’s Strategic Racial Equity Action Plan and supported community engagement at George Floyd Square. When she began her career in policy work at Wisconsin Policy Forum, Xiong co-authored A Fresh Start – Wisconsin’s Atypical Expungement Law and Options for Reform. This analysis of Wisconsin’s outdated and inaccessible expungement laws helped introduce Wisconsin’s 2021 Assembly Bill 69.

“Lalinda’s firsthand knowledge of this community and passion for public policy will help bridge the gap and provide a much-needed legal resource for people of color in the Twin Cities,” said Neera Chatterjee, board member of TCDIP. “Having been raised in our community by an intergenerational, multi-lingual home with Hmong refugee parents, she brings an important perspective to this role – one that will bolster the hard yet meaningful work that is to come while leading our WILD initiative.”

Xiong holds a Master’s of Public Policy from the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. She is bilingual in English and Hmong, volunteers for values-based campaigns, and teaches children how to ride bikes at Richard Green Central Elementary School. She also participates in programming set by organizations of the Coalition of Asian American Leaders and the Southeast Asian Diaspora Project.

To date, WILD has already launched a number of initiatives, including a six-month equity challenge course on understanding and deconstructing racism in Minnesota and small group listening sessions to process the ongoing trauma following police brutality. WILD has also supported the community by publishing educational information about voting rights, providing support for the Page Amendment, conducting outreach for the MNDHR investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department and more. These programs are open to all legal professionals from TCDIP members organizations.

For years TCDIP has been committed to diversifying the legal profession in the Twin Cities. TCDIP will continue programming, support, and education to members to help them attract, recruit, advance, and retain attorneys of color. And with WILD, TCDIP has a unique opportunity to leverage the power and connections of attorneys and legal professionals from more than 60 law firms and corporate legal departments to take direct action to combat systemic racism in the Twin Cities.

WILD will be funded through the Founders Circle, a group of individuals and entities passionate about WILD’s mission and to support the immediate financial requirements. For more information on WILD, please visit https://diversityinpractice.org/wild/.

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About Wanton Injustice Legal Detail
WILD’s mission is to provide a platform through which TCDIP Members can actively combat anti-Black racism, and all forms of racism, through direct support and partnerships with existing community organizations aligned with WILD’s mission and work.

About Twin Cities Diversity in Practice
TCDIP is a professional association of legal employers with the vision to create a vibrant and inclusive legal community. Our mission is to strengthen the efforts of Member Organizations to attract, recruit, advance, and retain attorneys of color.

TCDIP facilitates connections between community organizations and volunteer lawyers. As with any volunteer opportunities circulated by TCDIP, please consult with your organization’s policies on pro bono and volunteer work prior to participation as needed.

Ali Buckneberg
Words At Work
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