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Rosa Adimari

Mrs. Oliveira

WRT 104

17 November 2017

A Voice to the Voiceless

The overpowering voice of a woman heard above the projections of a room full of

boisterous people derives from a deeply rooted desire for advocacy and progressiveness.

Whether she enters a family gathering or the courtroom, or simply walks through the busy streets

of New York, poise and confidence precede her every step. Each aspect of her demeanor

presents a strong sense of dauntlessness and attitude.

Just around the corner from Westerly High, a young Anna Maria Diamanti tears up the

heavily concentrated Italian neighborhood surrounding Pierce Street- in none other than her

favorite roller skates. Anna Maria grew up constantly surrounded by people. Directly above her

family’s apartment at the time, resided her best friend, Antonella’s, grandparents, and nearby

lived her other best friend, Mike. When the three weren’t “tearing up” their own neighborhood,

they were “way out in the woods” in the quiet backyard of Antonella’s house, that they had all to

themselves. At home, traditional Italian values were reflected by her parents, Lina and Vincenzo

on her and her two siblings, Graziella and Louis. Aside from Anna’s crazy nature around her

friends, she possesses a sense of nurturement, out of looking after her severely disabled sister

Graziella. Helping to care for Graziella forced Anna to experience the world through the lens of

vulnerability. Anna explains “I understand very, very clearly the types of barriers people like my

sister face” reinstating her outlook on life. Growing up with a seemingly defenseless sister and

parents of the working class, Anna observed classism and discrimination head on. Needless to
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say, her upbringings wholeheartedly formed the mold she grew into as an adult, steering her into

the direction of her career tracks.

From the little town of Westerly, Rhode Island Anna leaped -with determination- to the

city of Boston, Massachusetts, where she attended Boston College as a history major. Here,

Anna realized her passions within history fixated on civil rights and international human rights

movements, and particularly, the legal advocacy behind “making things happen.” Anna

confesses “I had been hearing since I was a little kid.. that I should be a lawyer.. because I’m a

good arguer and I have a big mouth.” Eager to partake in change, similar to her childhood hero,

Martin Luther King Jr., Anna moved forward to law school at Georgetown University, in

Washington, D.C. Her admiration for those who put their lives on the line to stand up for what

they believe served as a foundation for her own aspirations as an individual.

Today, Anna resides in Brooklyn, New York in a neighborhood nestled between Prospect

Park, the second largest park in New York, and the great Brooklyn Public Library. Surrounded

by “lots of culture,” “lots of attitude,” and “a lot going on” the city atmosphere encapsulates

Anna’s personality perfectly. Anna describes herself as a pop culture geek- into movies, TV

shows, and music; she enjoys the bustling city with neverending things to do. With museums,

Broadway shows, concert events, street fairs and festivals, there isn’t a minute Anna isn't

occupied. Brooklyn as a whole is filled with an ethnically diverse population, contributing to the

“great food and good restaurants” and a culturally driven society. Being a quick walk from

Prospect Park and the Public Library, Anna’s favorite exercise is taking long bike rides and

illustrates herself as an avid reader, being “well-read up on politics and international world

relations” displaying her passions. Anna’s occupation, however, takes up most of her time.
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As an attorney, Anna works for Legal Services of New York, in the Brooklyn office.

Here, Anna is the director of the family law and domestic violence unit of the office, where

represents low income persons- primarily victims of domestic violence. She specializes in family

law which concerns divorce, custody, and child support, as well as immigration cases where she

assists those seeking legal status in the U.S or other assistance.

Nicknamed the city that never sleeps, Anna, too, admits many of her cases keep her up at

night. Working with victims of domestic violence and abuse on a daily basis, she oftentimes

finds herself worried for the safety of her clients. With this worry, she works together with the

Legal Services of New York to find safe, confidential places for clients who feel they are in

serious danger. Despite the typical stereotypes surrounding lawyers- greedy, dishonest, and

selfish- Anna demonstrates selfless advocacy for the greater good, as she has throughout her

career. As an advocate for low income persons, Anna Maria does not charge her clients.

Brooklyn Legal Services, as a part of Legal Services of New York, is funded by city, federal, and

state money, along with private donors and grants. Currently, Anna’s involvement in a

significant project funded by the federal government has her focusing on advocacy for victims of

abuse with mental or physical disabilities- those particularly vulnerable when in the court

system.

On a less serious note, outside of her office hours Anna Maria is the fabulous traveling

aunt everyone wants to have in their lives. Anna Maria has been to almost every corner of the

world. Residing in a handful of different states and visiting a majority of the U.S and Europe,

along with Canada, Anna Maria plans to add many more locations to her bucket list. Australia,

Russia, South Africa, Morocco, and a tour of Southeast Asia are among Anna’s next travel plans.

Of every place Anna Maria has visited, she undoubtedly enjoyed Scotland as her favorite stating
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“it was beautiful, I loved it!” If Anna Maria could change one aspect pertaining to her life, it

would be “more traveling, less stress.”

On her left arm, Anna bears an upside down triangle- the chalice, a symbol for

femininity, portraying her independence as a woman. She explains “being a woman in a male-

dominated profession I’ve seen a lot of sexism… I’ve had to guide a lot of young female

attorneys on how to deal with this.” Though white herself, she acknowledges her clients, due to

race, experience discrimination. She works to guide and assist them to the best of her abilities.

Anna Maria despises the willfully ignorant and the cruel, asserting “there’s this

expression..punching down.. you sort of put people down who are below you on social level..

that’s just kinda pathetic.” She expresses no patience for concepts of racism, sexism, classism or

any form of discrimination within society. On the surface, Anna Maria appears to have a tough

skin, unfettered by the world around her. Admittedly, she reveals “I’m actually a lot more

sensitive than I lead on to be… when something really upsets me, it sits with me for days.. while

I project an image of ‘I don’t care.’”

At the end of each day, Anna Maria reflects- she strives to make a difference, in a

positive way. Anna’s strong willed determination to fight for the seemingly defenseless

developed from an upbringing of firsthand experiences with ideas of classism and

discrimination. In a world full of prejudice, her outlook as a conscientious individual of society

mirrors wholeheartedly, her outlook as a conscientious lawyer. Looking deeply into the personal

lives of her clients, her purpose serves to help those who cannot speak for themselves. Anna

Maria Diamanti gives a voice to the voiceless.

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Work Cited

Diamanti, Anna Maria. Personal interview. 04 Nov. 2017.

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