I’m still not over the fact that only one black bar applicant who was a first time bar taker and a graduate of an ABA accredited school passed the CA bar exam in February 2020 🥺

It costs on average $15k to study for the bar exam and pay expenses. Because of the racial wealth gap most Black bar applicants have to work while studying in order to pay their fees and living costs. This dramatically decreases their chances of passing the exam.
Here are a few sources:

https://t.co/UqVeUG1hzD
https://t.co/EXDaCreVrO
https://t.co/LMUFMEWuI8
More resources are on the last two posts of this thread: https://t.co/KcUBDhhrxk
In 2020, a collective of law grads along with professors, deans, and attorneys started a movement to abolish the bar exam bc we see it as a major barrier of entry & unnecessary duplicative. It makes entering the legal profession costs prohibitive. https://t.co/S9thxUYXq5
In 2021, I started a Community Fund for Black Bar Applicants to tackle prohibitive costs of the bar exam and raise the number of Black bar applicants that can have a fighting chance of passing:

https://t.co/hYeIFHxTAt
Before the bar exam was widely adopted by states in the early 1900 there was diploma privilege and apprenticeship. Most lawyers did not have to take the bar exam until more states adopted it in the 1970s (coincidentally the height of affirmative action).
In the early 1910s the ABA noticed that 3 Black people had been unintentionally admitted to the Bar, so convened a meeting to discuss how they can make the profession more “pure”. During that meeting they decided to adopt the bar exam and promote it to all states.
By the 1930 southern states were adopting the bar exam by legislative action and proclaiming that it would prevent “negros and undesirable whites” from becoming attorneys. By the 1970s 5% of the profession was Black and 4% of the profession were women.
Now in 2021, 5% of the legal profession is Black, only 2% are black women.

And I don’t have an ending to this thread because this isn’t over until we get more Black representation in the legal field and abolish the bar exam. /TBC

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MDZS is laden with buddhist references. As a South Asian person, and history buff, it is so interesting to see how Buddhism, which originated from India, migrated, flourished & changed in the context of China. Here's some research (🙏🏼 @starkjeon for CN insight + citations)

1. LWJ’s sword Bichen ‘is likely an abbreviation for the term 躲避红尘 (duǒ bì hóng chén), which can be translated as such: 躲避: shunning or hiding away from 红尘 (worldly affairs; which is a buddhist teaching.) (
https://t.co/zF65W3roJe) (abbrev. TWX)

2. Sandu (三 毒), Jiang Cheng’s sword, refers to the three poisons (triviṣa) in Buddhism; desire (kāma-taṇhā), delusion (bhava-taṇhā) and hatred (vibhava-taṇhā).

These 3 poisons represent the roots of craving (tanha) and are the cause of Dukkha (suffering, pain) and thus result in rebirth.

Interesting that MXTX used this name for one of the characters who suffers, arguably, the worst of these three emotions.

3. The Qian kun purse “乾坤袋 (qián kūn dài) – can be called “Heaven and Earth” Pouch. In Buddhism, Maitreya (मैत्रेय) owns this to store items. It was believed that there was a mythical space inside the bag that could absorb the world.” (TWX)
Fake chats claiming to be from the Irish African community are being disseminated by the far right in order to suggest that violence is imminent from #BLM supporters. This is straight out of the QAnon and Proud Boys playbook. Spread the word. Protest safely. #georgenkencho


There is co-ordination across the far right in Ireland now to stir both left and right in the hopes of creating a race war. Think critically! Fascists see the tragic killing of #georgenkencho, the grief of his community and pending investigation as a flashpoint for action.


Across Telegram, Twitter and Facebook disinformation is being peddled on the back of these tragic events. From false photographs to the tactics ofwhite supremacy, the far right is clumsily trying to drive hate against minority groups and figureheads.


Declan Ganley’s Burkean group and the incel wing of National Party (Gearóid Murphy, Mick O’Keeffe & Co.) as well as all the usuals are concerted in their efforts to demonstrate their white supremacist cred. The quiet parts are today being said out loud.


The best thing you can do is challenge disinformation and report posts where engagement isn’t appropriate. Many of these are blatantly racist posts designed to drive recruitment to NP and other Nationalist groups. By all means protest but stay safe.