38: Amber Webb Sims
In today's episode I am speaking with my guest, Amber Webb Sims. This is one of the most powerful episodes I've recorded. Amber and I discuss her career as an attorney and how she uses her voice to demystify information. Amber shares what it means to divest from white supremacy, how racial capitalism affects Black people, Black pain being profitable, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) being trendy. Amber also shares:
why we must speak about pay inequity in the workplace
why labor is not aspirational
silence being a tool for white supremacy.
Amber is an attorney, speaker, writer, abolitionist. These are just a few words that describe Amber Webb Sims. Asa trial lawyer with nearly 100 first chair jury trials, Amber is among the top attorneys in Texas as measured by actual cases tried. But her gift and passion are empowering people through making complicated, intimidating information understandable, engaging, practical, and fun. This passion has extended beyond the courtroom to topics such as theology, politics, and social justice. After graduating from The Hockaday School in 2003, Amber got a B.A. in Political Science from The George Washington University. Afterwards, she obtained her Doctor of Jurisprudence, cum laude, from Texas Tech University School of Law. She worked briefly as an Assistant District Attorney in Dallas County during the tenure of Craig Watkins, the first African-American elected District Attorney in the State of Texas. Her primary field of practice is insurance defenselitigation, and Amber has worked in a top insurance defense law firm as well as for three of the largest carriers in the country.
Amber currently works as Assistant Vice President, Senior Legal Counsel in Litigation for AT&T, and her responsibilities include handling personal injury, premises liability, catastrophic loss, wrongful death, and commercial dispute cases in the six states that make up old Southwestern Bell. In her spare time, Amber co-hosts the Broke-ish podcast with Erika Brown, and they discuss the systemic and interpersonal impacts of racism and injustice on the Black community. She also regularly appears on radio shows, virtual events, andchurches – discussing a wide range of issues. She lives in Prosper, Texas with her husband, kids, and crazy dog.