WASHINGTON – The Howard University School of Law boasts an alumni roster with some of the most accomplished African-American lawyers, politicians, and civil rights giants. From Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall to New York Attorney General Letitia James, the names of Howard Law alumni tell the story of the school’s historic commitment to social justice and creating a judicial system that works for the most underrepresented. Ky’Eisha Penn, J.D. joined the ranks of Howard Law alumni determined to make a difference in the world, as a member of the 2019 graduating class.
Penn, a first-generation college graduate was raised in the inner-city of Miami, Florida. Growing up, Penn says she developed a passion for advocacy and community organizing as a member of the Dream Defenders, the organization responsible for a 31-day take-over of the state capital building in Tallahassee in protest of George Zimmerman’s acquittal for killing Trayvon Martin. The adversity she faced growing up and her community organizing background shaped her desire to advocate for youth and communities of color.
“I didn’t understand my family dynamic growing up,” says Penn. “I grew up in a domestically violent household and lived in a shelter for domestically battered women and children with my mother and sister. As I got older, I was trying to figure out what I could do to help youth who were facing similar adversity and needed an advocate like I felt I did growing up. I always thought family law would be my path, but after the death of Trayvon Martin, my context changed and I started looking at the school-to-prison pipeline, and how discipline in schools funnels black and brown youth into a downward spiral.”
As a Dream Defender, Penn had the opportunity to work alongside community members looking to change conditions in Florida. She spoke before the senate judiciary committee on how the state’s stand your ground law impacts black and brown communities.
“We went into the Tallahassee community to find out what people wanted to see in their communities,” says Penn. “Empowering people and building community let me know for sure that I wanted to do this work. Over time, I felt like a legal education would help arm me better to create change and that it would add to community organizing efforts.”
Penn earned a dual bachelor’s degree in political science and African-American studies from Florida State University, as well as a master’s degree in applied social science in history from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University. When she started applying to law school, she knew Howard was the best choice for her.
“I don’t think I could have been anywhere else to be honest. If I had to do it all over, I would choose Howard time and time again. The support we have from the network is unmatched. I knew I didn’t want to be in a setting as a minority, not only working through the stress of law school but also microaggressions and racism. At Howard, I got the experience of having professors invested in my success and the support from other students was amazing. I’m leaving with life-long friendships.”
In addition to gaining life-long friendships and joining a powerful and supportive network of Howard University alumni, Penn left her own footprint in the history of Howard Law as a student leader. She served as social action chair of the student bar association at Howard Law and was responsible for supporting students interested in pursuing civil rights work.
“Howard Law prides itself on educating social engineers, but sometimes the support for people who want to do civil rights work isn’t always there. As the social action chair, I helped to make sure students could participate in civil rights work by getting professors to excuse students from class when they could, which allowed us to do important voting rights work. I think being so adamant about creating those opportunities and holding us accountable to being about what we say we’re about is the reason why I’ve been honored by the school.”
Penn’s student leadership did not go unnoticed. In 2017, she received the Earl H. Davis Advocacy Award for her dedication to public service. She was also named the 2018 Howard Law Student of the Year and received the Charles Hamilton Houston Outstanding Student Award at Howard University School of Law’s 150th Anniversary Gala.
With her Howard Law degree in-hand and the backing of Howard’s supportive alumni network, Penn is now headed to live out her dreams as a Civic Engagement and Transparency Fellow at the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey. She’ll be supporting litigation on cases, but will also have the opportunity to work in the community, providing “Know Your Rights” trainings and connecting people with resources and access to critical information.
“I’m excited about my new opportunity at the ACLU because it will allow me to be creative about what we can do to hold city officials accountable. I’ll be able to use both my legal education and organizing experience I know the experience will open up so many more doors for opportunities.”
Ultimately, Penn aspires to a career as a practicing civil rights attorney up until she makes a run for elected office.
“My goal is to be President of the United States. I’m inspired by Ambassador Attallah Shabazz who says, ‘if your dreams don’t terrify you, they’re not big enough.’ So, every day, I’m pursuing dreams that scare me.”
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About Howard University
Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue studies in more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced four Rhodes Scholars, 11 Truman Scholars, two Marshall Scholars, one Schwarzman Scholar, over 70 Fulbright Scholars and 22 Pickering Fellows. Howard also produces more on-campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, visit www.howard.edu.
