Social Justice Series: Diversity and Inclusion in the Court System
As Director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion for the New York State Unified Court System, Selkirk “Tony” Walters ’81 fully understands how a diverse workforce enhances the quality and fairness of our justice system. In his Social Justice Series presentation to students in Ragland Commons, Tony touched on the role of diversity initiatives in the courts, both from the perspective of those who work in it and those who may be processed through it.
“Our system of justice only works if people have faith and trust in that system,” he told students. “An integral part of that is having people meting out justice who look like you when you go through that system. It is not perfect. We have areas of underrepresentation in our system. We are diligently working to have decision-makers and people who work with the public look like the communities they serve.”
How are they doing that? Through outreach and engaging employees in professional development, Tony explained. The goal is to have inclusion at the table with the most qualified individuals, regardless of their background. The court system also provides bias training to judges, attorneys, and clerks. “We all have built-in bias; it is a predetermined brain function in all humans due to external forces,” he said. “In spaces where we are talking to people and making decisions, we need to slow down our thinking. We want to disrupt that bias.”
Tony also sought to dispel any misunderstandings about diversity. “Diversity is basically about the numbers,” he said, gesturing to his audience. “Look at this room—I would absolutely say it is a diverse one. We have people who look different. And if we dig deeper, I am sure we have people with differences in socioeconomic backgrounds, abilities, orientations, religions, and many more. Whenever you have a group of people, you are going to have some diversity, because not everybody is going to look or think the same.”
After graduating from Georgetown University with a B.A. in English, Tony has devoted his career to criminal justice and workforce diversity. He has been with the Unified Court System for nearly two decades and a member of Canterbury’s Society of Alumni Executive Committee since 2022.
Tony credited Canterbury for giving him opportunities to do things he never would have thought possible. “It was a great experience. I had many amazing teachers and classmates—these people helped shape me. This is what you have to look forward to as you navigate this school and this environment. Relationships you make here will follow you throughout your entire career.”
After leading students through an interactive exercise about having “those important conversations” to discover other people’s backgrounds and interests, he encouraged them to be ever-mindful of the issues he discussed. “Canterbury is a place that teaches you to think critically so you can discern for yourselves what courses of action to take; what decisions to make,” he said. “There is an opportunity for you to share your impact with those less fortunate than you, which aligns with Canterbury’s Catholic roots and is one of the bedrocks of the School. It is not about taking a political stance. It is about doing the right thing; about treating everybody—your fellow students, teammates, and dormmates—with respect.”