News

A UNC-Chapel Hill graduate, Esosa Asemota is in her second year at Duke Law and serves as BLSA’s internal vice president. She says she first learned of BLSA in the summer before her first year at Duke when she received an invitation to join their mentorship program.

“[It’s] an initiative that pairs 1L students with upperclassmen with the goal of providing extra support and guidance.” Asemota said. “To this day, my mentor is a great source of joy and insight in my life!”

She’s grateful for the strength and support she’s received from friends and mentors in BLSA. Asemota’s gratitude also extends to influential Black figures who inspire her personally and professionally. Two of them, she says, are U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and actor-filmmaker Jordan Peele. 

“From his early days in the NAACP to his tenure in the Supreme Court, [Justice] Marshall remained committed to equity and never stopped speaking truth to power,” Asemota said. “With Get Out, Peele harnessed creative talent to boldly and powerfully communicate important truths regarding race.”

Asemota knows her identity as a Black person and child of immigrants informs her reverence of Black History Month and her perspective on being a lawyer. While acknowledging the law’s historic role in creating barriers and disparity for the Black community, Asemota says February is a month-long opportunity to honor the legacy of Black changemakers and amplify the narratives of the Black community’s past and present.

For Moses Baguma, February is an annual opportunity to honor the achievements of the Black community, which otherwise might go unnoticed. “It is a time I like to use my voice to raise awareness about the contributions Black people made to science and useful arts, which went with little or no recognition,” he said.

Baguma’s own accomplishments include an internship at the World Bank and co-founding the Cyber Law Initiative in his native Uganda. He draws strength from the defiant spirit of fellow Ugandan Omukama Kabalega, who ruled the Bunyoro Kingdom from 1869 to 1899.

“He was determined to preserve his kingdom’s independence and culture and resisted British colonial rule for several years, totally rejecting the one-sided British treaties,” Baguma said. In 2009, Kabalega was declared a national hero of Uganda by President Yoweri Museveni.

Baguma, who serves as BLSA’s LLM representative, said the group’s lighthearted and supportive community looks after each other. Members ensure others have the resources they need to succeed in law school – “while still having fun.” 

George Howard connected with BLSA via Duke Law’s Office of Admissions and said he appreciates the impact the group has on life at the Law School.

“The legal profession struggles with diversity, so to be able to have such a thriving and connected Black community here at Duke has been a blessing,” Howard said.

Indeed, in 2022, Black associates at major U.S. law firms numbered less than 6% and Black summer associates accounted for less than 12% percent – less than one percentage point gains for either compared to the previous year, according to the 2023 Report on Diversity at U.S. Law Firms from the National Association for Law Placement.

Howard, a political science graduate from UC-Irvine, strongly believes in culturally competent lawyering and says a lack of Black attorneys impedes this in the application and practice of law. “I aspire to be a Black attorney who provides that cultural understanding,” Howard said.

For him, Black History Month is a time to reflect on Black history, celebrate Black excellence, and look forward to the promise of the future. Howard takes inspiration from Congresswoman Maxine Waters, an outspoken advocate for children, women, and the Black community with more than three decades of service in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

Andriana Johnson knows she stands on the shoulders of historic Black figures who struggled and persevered to obtain the rights and access she has today. One of them is a 6-year-old Black girl who bravely walked alongside federal marshals and past angry crowds yelling at her as she entered the newly desegregated William J. Frantz Elementary School in Louisiana on November 14, 1960.

“Ruby Bridges and Vivien Thomas are two figures who really inspire me,” Johnson said. “Ruby Bridges demonstrated more bravery at the age of six than most people do in their entire lives. Vivien Thomas is a lesser-known figure who developed a procedure to treat blue baby syndrome in the 1930s despite not having any professional experience or education in a research lab.”

A Vanderbilt University graduate, Johnson said serving as a 1L representative for BLSA is a chance to give back what was given to her by fellow members.

“Since my first semester started, the 2Ls and 3Ls in BLSA have been invaluable with advice, resources, and community,” she said. “Being a part of BLSA has given me a sense of community at Duke and allowed me to find my closest friends here at Duke.”

This month, Kristen Love is celebrating the past, present, and future of the Black community, drawing particular inspiration from civil rights legend Constance Baker Motley, the first Black woman to be appointed a federal judge, in 1966, and to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court, in 1961. 

“Beyond all of her accomplishments, I am most inspired by her commitment to mentoring other Black women and actioned belief that one committed person can make a difference in the world,” she said.

Love’s commitment extends to her service as BLSA’s chief of staff this year. She considers the student group one of the best parts of her Duke experience, providing opportunities for members to engage socially and professionally with people with shared experiences.

“I saw students who looked like me succeeding at Duke and pursuing a variety of careers and opportunities,” said Love, a Howard graduate who has had internships with Kirkland & Ellis and Hogan Lovells while at Duke. “Connecting with BLSA made Duke feel like a place I could grow and succeed at.”