The state Board of Bar Overseers, which investigates complaints against Massachusetts lawyers, wants to change its name to the Board of Bar Oversight, because of the link between the word "overseers" and Southern slavery.
In a formal request to the Supreme Judicial Court, which has ultimate say, the board writes this is an outgrowth of an effort started after the George Floyd murder to do more than just issue proclamations condemning racism, and that in addition to hiring its first ever director of diversity, equity and inclusion, board members concluded its name had to change:
The word "overseer" has a pernicious history in our country, tied inextricably to chattel slavery. On southern plantations, an overseer was the slaveowner’s delegate in day-to-day governance, trusted to enforce order and obedience. Overseers were the most visible representatives of white supremacy. As defined in the Online Etymology Dictionary, an overseer was "one who has charge, under the owner or manager, of the work done on a plantation." In autobiographies by slaves such as Frederick Douglas and Solomon Northup ("Twelve Years a Slave"), overseers were described as heartless, brutal and cruel. They were an inevitable and indispensable product of an economy built on human chattel. As noted by University of Louisville president Neeli Bendapudi, "The term overseer is a racialized term. It hearkens back to American slavery and reminds us of the brutality of the conditions and treatment of black people during this time." We agree with this statement.
Accordingly, the board proposes that the Supreme Judicial Court change the name of the organization from Board of Bar Overseers to Board of Bar Oversight. While "oversight" has a similar meaning and purpose to "overseer," it elides the negative historical connotations. Changing the name to Board of Bar Oversight allows the board to continue to use the abbreviation "BBO," which is a well-known acronym in the Massachusetts bar. We aim for minimal disruption.
The SJC is accepting comments on the proposed change until April 19.
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Comments
Magoo sez
By MisterMagooForYoo
Wed, 03/06/2024 - 11:54am
As a memba of the Massachusetts bah, Magoo wholeheartedly endorses this. Magoo.
OVERSEERS
By thomas mccusker
Wed, 03/06/2024 - 1:58pm
It's what they do just as the Overseers of Public Welfare did back in the day. As a member of the Massachusetts Bar I read each week of the Public Disclosure of my fellow attorneys who have stumbled. I look forward to the day that the Overseers of the Medical Profession will tells us when their members have stumbled. Lawyers may cost clients money but Doctors may cost their clients lives. or physical well being.
Board of Bar Officers?
By Kaz
Wed, 03/06/2024 - 12:11pm
That's the sound of da Barrist's.
Oversight has another meaning, though
By Ron Newman
Wed, 03/06/2024 - 12:25pm
Failure to see something
Yes
By Transphobia Watch
Wed, 03/06/2024 - 1:24pm
I agree with getting rid of "overseers" for the reasons they note, but also your point. Why not just use parallel construction with the other professional boards, most of which I believe are boards of registration? Is this yet another case of "Massachusetts just gotta be different?" (I'm looking at you, RMV.)
AFAIK, attorneys do register themselves with the BBO, since they get a BBO# that they put on their filings. Could they just be the Board of Bar Registration?
And it has since the 1300s
By Ari O
Wed, 03/06/2024 - 1:42pm
But, sure, okay, whatever.
Sure, change the name, I
By Matt_J
Wed, 03/06/2024 - 5:15pm
Sure, change the name, I really dont have a problem with this... that said...
Are they telling us that they have solved every other issue that the organization is facing, that they can now focus on their name? If they have great, otherwise should they be spending their finite resources and the SJC time on this?
Oh give me a break
By fungwah
Wed, 03/06/2024 - 10:19pm
It takes a few minutes to do something like this and its a nice gesture. Are you also mad that they passed around a card for everyone to sign for Cathy's birthday? Because that probably took about as much of their finite resources and time.
Change the name of the Bar Association
By Sock_Puppet
Wed, 03/06/2024 - 1:59pm
It's insensitive to recovering alcoholics.
Zzzzzzzzz
By Username Unknown
Wed, 03/06/2024 - 9:56pm
Random word outrage is really boring. You best change board and bar while you're at it.
impoverishment of language
By deselby
Thu, 03/07/2024 - 9:46am
the list of cancelled words is getting long and reminds me of the passage in 1984 where it's said that the Party's objective was to eliminate words in order to constrict the range of possible thought.
Oh honey
By SwirlyGrrl
Thu, 03/07/2024 - 8:48pm
Maybe if you didn't resort to butthuffing reichwing bullshit on X as a means of finding new marginalized groups to declare subhuman and blame for the results of systematic marginalization then people wouldn't be "cancelling" you so much.
TL/DR stop being a bigot/perv obsessed with kids genitals and life will improve
Virtue signaling
By StillFromDorchester
Thu, 03/07/2024 - 11:40am
Is harmless and sometimes amusing.
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