Coffee & Conversations

Rooted in Bias: Addressing Hair Discrimination in the Workplace

Connect with your community! Enjoy meaningful conversations about mental health with people from diverse backgrounds. Fuel your discussions with energizing coffee. After the conversation, reflect on what you learned with a simple craft project.

Join our next Coffee & Conversations event at Fort Ben library for an impactful discussion about how we can all support our neighbors and coworkers. This conversation will be facilitated by presenters focused on preventing discrimination in the workplace. The presentation will explore workplace bias that harms employees and applicants with natural hair, the laws in place to defend them from workplace discrimination, and what we all can do as advocates. Come prepared to engage with this insightful discussion alongside your neighbors. Coffee and a light snack are provided for all guests. After the discussion, stick around to complete an open-ended craft that will help you reflect on what you learned. 

This event is hosted by The Indianapolis Public Library African American History Committee and Social Service Action Committee. 

About the Presenters

AARIKA MACK-BROWN is an Administrative Judge with the Indianapolis District Office of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Ms. Mack-Brown has been with the Commission since 2009 and has served as an Administrative Judge since 2018. As an Administrative Judge, Ms. Mack-Brown adjudicates claims of employment discrimination filed by employees of the federal government against agencies of the federal government. Prior to serving as an Administrative Judge, Ms. Mack-Brown served as a Senior Trial Attorney for the Commission and represented the Commission in lawsuits filed by the Commission against private sector employers. Ms. Mack-Brown also advises the Commission’s investigative staff on matters related to federal employment discrimination law. Prior to joining the Commission, Ms. Mack-Brown represented the interests of management in employment discrimination matters and served as corporate in-house legal counsel. Ms. Mack-Brown received her B.A. summa cum laude from Fisk University in 2001 and her Doctor of Jurisprudence from Georgetown University Law Center in 2004. Ms. Mack-Brown is admitted to practice in Indiana and the United States District Court for both the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana. She speaks frequently to management and employee groups on issues related to employment discrimination.

Amber K. Boyd is an accomplished attorney and the founder of Amber K. Boyd Attorney at Law, established in 2013. As the firm's sole practitioner, Ms. Boyd brings a wealth of experience and a sharp focus on employment law, particularly discrimination cases, alongside a strong background in estate planning and probate law. Her professional mission is to provide her clients with strategic, efficient, and effective legal services. With a keen eye for victory in the courtroom, Ms. Boyd has developed a reputation for securing substantial settlements for her clients, often surpassing initial offers from defendants or employers. She excels at demystifying complex legal concepts for her clients and ensures that witnesses are thoroughly prepared for trial. Her extensive litigation experience spans both federal and state courts, and she has adeptly handled mediations through the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Prior to her legal practice, Ms. Boyd was a compliance officer at a national mortgage company in Indianapolis, where she oversaw the compliance of 19 law firms across the country. In this role, she ensured adherence to various policies, service level agreements, and legal standards, providing litigation support and identifying opportunities for process improvements through detailed analyses of foreclosure practices.

An active member of the legal community, Ms. Boyd is affiliated with the Marion County Bar Association, the Indianapolis Bar Association, and the Labor and Employment Division of the American Bar Association. She also dedicates her time to community service as a board member of the Mapleton-Fall Creek Neighborhood Development Corporation and is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

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