And Then They Came For Me

In this powerful and timely talk, Christi Griffin, J.D., founder president of The Ethics Project, explores the quiet progression from indifference to injustice -and how the erosion of fairness in one arena inevitably seeps into all others. Drawing on decades of experience addressing systemic inequities and wrongful prosecutions, Griffin reflects on the moral and civic costs of apathy in the face of injustice. What began as the targeting of others has now reached into every corner of society -from the closing of rural hospitals and family farms to the rollback of educational opportunities and personal freedoms. Through this urgent lens, she challenges audiences to recognize the warning signs of authoritarian drift and to reclaim the courage to care, to speak, and to act before silence becomes complicity.

Stream on YouTube.

Christi Griffin, J.D., is the founder and president of The Ethics Project, a multi-award-winning nonprofit established in 2007 to reduce wrongful prosecutions and convictions by promoting ethical practices among lawyers, judges, and law enforcement. A graduate of Webster College and Saint Louis University School of Law, she opened her law practice as a ministry in 1984, growing it into one of Missouri’s largest consumer bankruptcy practices over 23 years. While raising three children, she served on numerous civic and policy boards, including as Chair of the St. Louis Civil Rights Enforcement Commission, Director of the Joint Boards of Health and Hospitals, and a member of the United Way Board of Directors and the De Tocqueville Society Cabinet. Her work has earned widespread recognition, including the What’s Right with St. Louis Award, three President’s Call to Service Awards, and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drum Major for Justice Award. She is also listed in Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who Among Students in Colleges and Universities, and is the proud mother of three adult children and grandmother of six.

This Platform will feature music by Eimear Arkins and Eileen Gannon. The duo has been lighting up the Irish music scene in St. Louis for the past several years. They have played numerous sold-out shows across the Midwest and beyond. Together they will perform a beautiful blend of haunting harp melodies, sean-nós songs, and plenty of toe-tapping dance tunes! Eimear is an award-winning singer and fiddle player from County Clare with eleven solo Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann (World Irish Music Championships) titles to her credit. She has performed throughout the U.S. and Ireland with acclaimed bands like Cherish The Ladies, Téada, and The Paul Brock Band. She has toured extensively with Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann in Ireland, Britain, North America and Canada. Eimear’s debut CD, What’s Next? was released in summer 2019 to great acclaim and she was named “Best Newcomer” by LiveIreland 2019. Most recently, Eimear has been awarded an artist fellowship from the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis. Eileen, a St. Louis native, is one of the top Irish harp players in the world. She has won numerous accolades including the highly coveted Senior Harp title at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. She has a bachelor’s degree in music performance from Saint Louis University and a master’s degree in ethnomusicology from University of Limerick. Eileen launched her debut solo CD, The Glory Days Are Over, to great acclaim in the summer of 2017.