The nation’s first Black Attorney General tells Sheletta that “we must push through” to leave a better America to the next generation

Former US Attorney General Eric Holder will be the keynote speaker at the 30th annual gala held by the Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers (MABL) coming up this Saturday night.

Media personality Sheletta Brundidge will be the emcee for the gala. On her podcast Laughing with Letta, Sheletta had the opportunity to interview the nation’s first Black attorney general who served in the Obama administration from 2009 to 2015 and preview his speech.

Despite the current political climate, Holder told Sheletta that when he addresses Minnesota’s Black lawyers, judges, law students and others in the legal profession gather at the Nov 22 gala, he will deliver an encouraging message.

He is convinced that legal professionals are uniquely positioned to use the law and the courts to maintain and preserve civil rights and Constitutional protections.

“Every great social movement that has happened in this country happened because lawyers were at the forefront. It is through the courts that we have established so many of the rights that we enjoy,” Holder told Sheletta. “We have got to make sure that we leave to the next generation an America that is better, more fair and more just.”

Today Holder is chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee. He continues to hold a prominent public profile, working on gerrymandering reform and initiatives to advance democracy and the rule of law. He remains inspired by the Civil Rights Movement and the era’s determined leaders who created change.

“Think about those young Black men and women who decided to rip down a system of American apartheid. They must have had doubts but they pushed through and actually changed this country. That’s the kind of thing we have to be about now,” he said.

“The same thing that carried them through the struggle still animates us today. If we don’t do what they did, right now in 2025, we dishonor them and the sacrifices they made.”

With the theme “Let Justice Reign: 30 Years Crowned in Law,” the 2025 MABL gala will be held on the evening of Nov 22 at Royalston Square in Minneapolis. The anniversary celebration will recognize legacy members and MABL founders for their trailblazing accomplishments and honor MABL’s track record of advancing the interests of Black law students, attorneys and judges through networking, mentorship and advocacy.

The evening will highlight MABL’s Endowed Scholarship Campaign that is expanding scholarships, elevating the Pathways Program in support of law students, and strengthening MABL’s Foundation.

The attendees are certain to take with them a message from Holder that will urge them to continue to use the law to protect rights that are under attack.

“Here’s the deal. There really are no saviors, the cavalry is not coming, there are no miracles. The people we are looking for is us. Are we up to it? I think we are,” he said. “Push through the doubts and the fatigue. What can you do in the space you occupy?”

For tickets or information about the MABL gala, go to https://www.mabl.org/projects

To listen to Sheletta’s full interview with Holder, including her funny story about how she once mistook the attorney general for Oprah’s boo Stedman Graham, go to her Laughing with Letta podcast at laughing with letta podcast 11 18 25.mp3