Nothing About Attorney Landon White is Basic, He’s Civil and Loves What He Does
In a climate like we’re in today and with this pulse in America it’s good to know we can depend on someone who doesn’t just stop at a paycheck. Landon White is a Maryland-based lawyer, but not just any lawyer, he’s a Civil Rights attorney. White defines his rightful position as, “Very broad, but is a lawyer that is able to protect individual and groups’ freedoms that constitute the violation of civil rights. That goes as far back as the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The whole tone was to outlaw discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.”
His new school approach today allows him to marry the fight those before him possessed with a fight that has never been seen like this. He strives to protect the rights of black citizens. Countless unarmed people of color have lost their lives and been gunned down by police officers and variant injustices. It’s critical that black lives stick together and it’s starting with this HBCU alum. White attended Howard University and Morgan State University, which he told The Quintessential Gentleman at that time, “I was into IT, gaming, and business.” At that time never knowing he’d be what he is today to our communities but said, “For me in my community you always see lawyers but, there was nobody I could really reach out to because I was active in the community I was so invested in my city.” He decided to become an attorney and thankfully he did.
He has taken on many roles and has been apart of several organizations including, NAACP, Maryland General Assembly, and the National Urban League. Tough cases? No problem. This young supreme held the torch as a member of the dream team to win Korryn Gaines’ family $37 million in damages. These are cases he takes on, basic protection, basic freedom, and criminal law in the city, and like he said, “There is one thing about criminal law in the city, if you take care of the community, as you say I take care of the streets, I will take care of you.” You have to give some to win some. In criminal law, he has been able to build his skills and he’s been doing a lot more civil work and workplace discrimination as well as police brutality. As he explained, “That deals with everything from police shootings and basic harassment that we see now.”
As he quoted and Jay Z said in regards to the rights of musicians on Moonlight from 4:44, “Y’all still signin’ deals?/After all they done stole, for real?/After what they done to our Lauryn Hill?” White believes that’s the same mantra when it comes to discrimination. White believes, “Now this is really making sure we vote for either people of color and when you say the people of color doesn’t mean that they’re from or for your community. We need to make sure we vote for state attorneys that are for the community because what’ll happen is that if someone calls the police and there’s no evidence to this person had a gun or there’s no evidence that this person was causing any type of disorderly conduct then that individual should be held accountable.” The bad apples have to be cut out and the racist citizens need to be dealt with in the hands of law enforcement properly, and not falsely. Someone has to step up.
First solution Landon states, “I think we need to get back to taking back our communities, so often we get the best and the brightest that run away from the community.” In Baltimore City, he could be coaching the young guys’ baseball team, but it’s all a matter of taking back our communities. He believes we have to give back and in giving back, not money, but time, and make sure they [the community] see things growing. He believes it’s also important to have relationships with police officers. White told us, “I think if you are in your community and you make the police officers not only know the visitors in the area but every homeowner on your block. They should know the grandmother, the mom, the ten-year-old, and the thirteen -year old that’s about to hit puberty and maybe going down the wrong path. Once we build relationships like that, that would help the community. That keeps us vibrant, alive, and we are able to stay in our communities.”
White agrees that there is room for morality in the courtroom and there should be more of it. He said, “It all depends on the judge.” Sometimes the facts don’t tell the whole case, but it all goes back to your vote, making sure you’re also voting for judges, not just the President of the United States, and your mayors. He himself has been approached about running for a political office, especially after his role in the Korryn Gaines case, but he says, “I feel as though I have a lot more to give my community as an attorney at this point.” We agree. We can tell you love what you do.
#HowardUniversity #LaurynHill #MorganStateUniversity #NationalUrbanLeague #NAACP #KorrynGaines #MarylandGeneralAssembly #JayZ #LandonWhite