Skip to main content

SaraKay Smullens

Verna Myers

Vernā Myers, Esq. is the author of “Diversity is Being Invited to the Party, Inclusion is Being Asked to Dance” (American Bar Association, forthcoming). She is a nationally recognized expert on diversity and inclusion within law firms, law departments and law schools. A highly sought after speaker worldwide, Vernā has for the last six years sponsored a successful conference of her own in Chicago and New York. She was recently named of the most “25 Influential Black Women in Business.” Chick will change your life.

The Sixty Second Interview with… Vernā Myers

  1. How do you take your coffee? I don’t. I’m practically English, I take milk with my tea.
  2. What kinds of advice do your friends ask you for? That’s actually one of the reasons why I wrote this book. Both black and white people come to me when they see something on Facebook or hear something in their child’s classroom that upsets them about race. I guess you could say they ask me for advice on how to say hard things well and constructively.
  3. What is your mantra for handling rejection? I asked a friend once, “Why do so many people like you?” She said, “I seek criticism.”
  4. What didn’t you put in your book? I think I got most of it out. I tried to speak from a place of optimism about diversity and inclusion, because that’s how I feel most days. To be fair, though, some days can be pretty frustrating…
  5. What are your three favorite words? I think I use the word “item” a lot, like “what’s the story with that item?” Or, “What item are we discussing today?” But then someone showed me the wordle for my book, and it was pretty clear what my three favorite words are: BLACK, WHITE, and PEOPLE.
  6. What’s next for you? A conference, a move, a reunion, another book (ed. note: sweet!), and lots and lots of travel.

Our (current) favorite sentences of Vernā’s: The majority of black people are true believers in the American dream and they are working hard on achieving it, but they will never get there alone. It is time for us to seek true collaboration, a partnership of well-meaning, justice-seeking people who are willing to do the work on themselves and with others to build true friendship, a fair society, and a richer culture.