What does BAME mean as a Legal Professional?

Is it fair to say that the term BAME constructs in the psyche from the external nothing about a BAME professional individually aside from the one exception that it merely speaks about one's race and does that construct in the psyche of BAME professionals ask the question ‘Do I really belong in the legal arena?’

Common knowledge within the BAME circle regarding that from a young age BAME professionals that being specifically Black and Asian ethinic minorities are told that they have to work harder than their non-BAME bredrins to survive in the non-BAME corporate space is that then confirmation of the blueprint that BAME professionals in the legal world do not belong?

Moreover those questions from non-BAME colleagues of…‘Where do you come from?’ And you respond that you are British but that answer is not suffice which is then followed up with…’No where do you really come from?’ Is this indicative of not belonging thus being pigeon holed as BAME.

So where do BAME professionals fit in the legal world?

To become a part of the legal establishment BAME professionals have gone to university, law school that being for those who have trained as Barristers they have gone to the Bar where as others have taken the Solicitors route, either way they have earned their place in the same manner as their non-BAME comrades.

As the minority and standing out as being different, does that also mean BAME professionals have to assimilate?

If BAME is based on race and not based on individuality then is there an assumption to ‘tone down’ one’s culture?

Is it fair to state then that the deprivation of a balance of equality, diversity and inclusion, distinctly and intuitively means that BAME professionals as individuals are hidden and if BAME professionals have to assimilate to benefit then that in itself is very telling of what BAME means in the legal world.

Ethnic minorities can redefine what professional is and that challenge is becoming a real privilege and that is being unapologetically BAME.

‘Walking the path is different to Knowing the path.’

BAME Legal Network (BLN)