Jackson Walker labor & employment partner Jamila Brinson shared her experiences as a Black woman attorney with Texas Lawbook for Black History Month, emphasizing the importance of strong role models.

“Growing up, I saw how hard my parents worked to improve themselves educationally and professionally, and the positive impact it had on our family. My parents immigrated to the U.S. from Belize in the 1970s in search of the quintessential American Dream. After becoming an American citizen while serving in the U.S. Army, my father worked full-time for eight years while earning his bachelor’s and master’s in business administration. We were all very proud of my mother when she went to college and earned her bachelor’s degree one year before I did. They set the example, then challenged my siblings and me to achieve our own goals,” she shared.

“It is important that my children see and appreciate hard work, and set and achieve their goals. While the barriers Black women face in the workplace have improved with time and collective concerted efforts at change, there is still a long way to go. For the benefit of my children and others, I want my life to reflect that I was a part of that change, even in the smallest way,” wrote the Houston attorney and chair of Jackson Walker’s Diversity & Inclusion Counseling practice.

You can read the full story, “Amplifying Black Women’s Voices in the Workplace,” here.