When you pursue, like policy and things like that,
 2
00:00:03.937 --> 00:00:07.941 what do you mainly focus on that affects black and brown communities?
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00:00:07.941 --> 00:00:11.177 Like what are the hurdles and the barriers that you face?
 4
00:00:11.478 --> 00:00:14.481 So inside or out? Both.
 5
00:00:14.481 --> 00:00:16.683 So I want to kind of tip
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00:00:16.683 --> 00:00:19.786 my hat to like Darrell Jones and a few other folks
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00:00:19.786 --> 00:00:22.789 who are part of the movement behind the wall,
 8
00:00:22.956 --> 00:00:26.793 you know, because I think there could not have been a me without an us.
 9
00:00:26.826 --> 00:00:27.260 Right.
 10
00:00:27.260 --> 00:00:32.260 And we collectively learned and advocating on behalf of black
 11
00:00:32.298 --> 00:00:37.298 and brown folks behind the wall, specifically, was the lack of access.
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00:00:37.570 --> 00:00:42.242 Like we couldn't access certain things as black and brown folks
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00:00:42.242 --> 00:00:47.047 that our white counterparts could access, whether that be just getting,
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00:00:47.914 --> 00:00:50.784 hygienic stuff that we're supposed to get by the state,
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00:00:50.784 --> 00:00:54.020 whether that's just getting adequate time out of cell
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00:00:54.020 --> 00:00:57.957 the way others were getting it, just from the basic level on.
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00:00:57.957 --> 00:00:58.758 Right.
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00:00:58.758 --> 00:01:02.328 And then when we saw how jobs were being given out,
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00:01:02.328 --> 00:01:05.498 where our white counterparts were getting the best jobs,
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00:01:05.498 --> 00:01:07.834 and we were getting the kind of mediocre jobs,
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00:01:07.834 --> 00:01:10.870 and in some cases, some of those weren't even getting jobs, right.
 22
00:01:11.404 --> 00:01:14.174 You know, there was a need that needed to be addressed.
 23
00:01:14.174 --> 00:01:17.177 But the number one need was we needed to come together.
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00:01:17.644 --> 00:01:21.247 And so, you know, we created a kind of a movement
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00:01:21.247 --> 00:01:24.250 behind the wall that started bringing us together.
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00:01:24.284 --> 00:01:27.754 You know, we used the African Heritage Coalition,
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00:01:27.754 --> 00:01:30.757 which had been in existence long before us,
 28
00:01:31.057 --> 00:01:34.727 you know, to bring black and brown folks under that umbrella
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00:01:34.727 --> 00:01:37.730 because it didn't house a specific ideology.
 30
00:01:37.964 --> 00:01:40.033 It was about your descendancy.
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00:01:40.033 --> 00:01:40.300 Right.
 32
00:01:40.300 --> 00:01:43.403 Like you're black, you know, and that's all it required.
 33
00:01:43.403 --> 00:01:46.739 And then we come in and we started building these things.
 34
00:01:46.739 --> 00:01:50.143 And so we first had to deal with ourselves.
 35
00:01:50.143 --> 00:01:53.379 And then we started dealing with the policy after fact.
 36
00:01:53.680 --> 00:01:58.284 And that became an effective tool because the administration is so used
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00:01:58.284 --> 00:02:03.284 to us being divided among ourselves that when we started making the waves of
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00:02:03.423 --> 00:02:07.293 just saying we want more cultural events, we want more of this stuff happening.
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00:02:07.627 --> 00:02:12.065 It was like, hold on, like, y'all don't dictate nothing to us.
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00:02:12.365 --> 00:02:15.869 And it wasn't about dictating, it was about just accessing,
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00:02:16.035 --> 00:02:19.038 like accessing what we're supposed to have.
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00:02:19.339 --> 00:02:21.407 Like who was going down to the minimums.
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00:02:21.407 --> 00:02:21.708 Right.
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00:02:21.708 --> 00:02:24.777 Like there was a lot of folks that qualified, black and brown folks,
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00:02:24.777 --> 00:02:26.946 but they weren't getting access to the minimums.
 46
00:02:26.946 --> 00:02:29.115 They weren't getting access to the pre-releases.
 47
00:02:29.115 --> 00:02:32.385 So if you qualified, we'd help them with the classification reports,
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00:02:32.385 --> 00:02:34.721 make sure that they get down to lower custody.
 49
00:02:34.721 --> 00:02:37.457 In most cases, I would sue on behalf of them,
 50
00:02:37.457 --> 00:02:40.093 and in a lot of those cases were won.
 51
00:02:40.093 --> 00:02:44.564 And so it's really like the experience of what is happening to us.
 52
00:02:44.564 --> 00:02:49.564 And so we look to address those things that seem to be where we find great
 53
00:02:50.270 --> 00:02:55.270 disparity in the policy, which written neutrally but applied disparately.
 54
00:02:56.309 --> 00:03:01.309 And when it comes to the community aspect, for me, I see what happens in prison
 55
00:03:01.915 --> 00:03:04.984 as a microcosm of what happens out here at large.
 56
00:03:04.984 --> 00:03:05.318 Right.
 57
00:03:05.318 --> 00:03:10.290 And for me, you know, when we think in terms of resources, well,
 58
00:03:10.290 --> 00:03:15.290 you know, the city hall, the governor's office becomes the DOC
 59
00:03:15.795 --> 00:03:19.866 in those ways, right, where policy governs community.
 60
00:03:20.266 --> 00:03:24.737 And so if you're not aware that, you know, there're certainly entitlements,
 61
00:03:24.737 --> 00:03:29.309 there's certain things that's happening in our community but are not happening.
 62
00:03:29.709 --> 00:03:33.046 And then we don't come out to these public forums to learn about them.
 63
00:03:33.046 --> 00:03:37.584 Well, that is part of the problem with educating and thinking with ourselves.
 64
00:03:37.584 --> 00:03:41.487 I think the challenge for me has been more so about
 65
00:03:41.487 --> 00:03:45.124 how do we bring ourselves in this open arena right?
 66
00:03:45.425 --> 00:03:48.595 Like how do we get more folks under one roof
 67
00:03:48.995 --> 00:03:52.865 to come to the same understanding and then to move forward?
 68
00:03:53.099 --> 00:03:56.102 So the type of policies I'm interested in
 69
00:03:56.336 --> 00:04:01.336 is the economics, how economics impact the marginalized folks
 70
00:04:01.841 --> 00:04:05.645 in the communities we're from, but also how education
 71
00:04:05.979 --> 00:04:09.415 you know, it's not given to us in the way that we're supposed to receive it.
 72
00:04:09.816 --> 00:04:11.351 You know, we're not supported.
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00:04:11.351 --> 00:04:15.021 We're still fighting fights that happened 30 something years ago,
 74
00:04:15.355 --> 00:04:20.355 you know, from Brown versus Education, you know, all the way up to,
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00:04:21.160 --> 00:04:24.297 Judge Garrity forcing the bussing,
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00:04:24.664 --> 00:04:27.967 you know, situation and reinterpreting the struggles
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00:04:27.967 --> 00:04:31.871 of the black and brown communities who just wanted access to the school board
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00:04:32.071 --> 00:04:34.874 so that they can make sure that the curriculums are what they're
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00:04:34.874 --> 00:04:37.877 supposed to be for black and brown folks in Roxbury,
 80
00:04:37.944 --> 00:04:41.414 these are the type of fights that are still on going to even today.
 81
00:04:41.914 --> 00:04:45.618 So, you know, like I said, it's a continuation of the work
 82
00:04:45.618 --> 00:04:47.287 that I was doing behind the wall.
 83
00:04:47.287 --> 00:04:50.923 So for me, coming out from cultural events
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00:04:50.923 --> 00:04:54.994 to working to bring brothers together is much like
 85
00:04:55.194 --> 00:04:58.998 now taking our same drive and bringing brothers
 86
00:04:58.998 --> 00:05:02.635 together from out here so that we can service our community.
 87
00:05:02.635 --> 00:05:05.938 And so that created the idea for me when I thought
 88
00:05:05.938 --> 00:05:09.442 about how to address racial inequity in our own communities,
 89
00:05:09.942 --> 00:05:13.579 like in the name Access Mass, like we're trying to access
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00:05:13.579 --> 00:05:17.884 Massachusetts in ways that black and brown folks haven't been able to so far.
 91
00:05:17.884 --> 00:05:18.785 Right.
 92
00:05:18.785 --> 00:05:23.389 And that means trying to figure out new ideas as well as taking some of the oaths
 93
00:05:23.389 --> 00:05:28.061 and then creating our own model for what that looks like.
 94
00:05:28.061 --> 00:05:32.832 So we created this redemptive process where we come back to our neighborhoods,
 95
00:05:33.066 --> 00:05:38.037 alleviate some of the financial burdens that they experience as well as,
 96
00:05:38.371 --> 00:05:42.709 you know, create a holistic healing from the fractured community.
 

I served 33 years in prison, most of which for a crime I did not commit. I pursued education and learned the law so that I could move forward and fight for others who were also mistreated.

We, as Black and brown men, weren't given the same access to resources inside prison as our white counterparts—from hygiene products to jobs and out-of-cell time. I helped build a movement of Black and brown men in prison to demand better conditions.

As a community liaison and paralegal, I work on legislative initiatives, gather racial data, and advocate for prison oversight. My days are packed with meetings, legal research, and building pathways to justice for people both inside and outside the system. Through my own nonprofit, AccessMA, I organize community drives that bring healing and support to the neighborhoods we grew up in.

Founder

Adversity

Community

Working For Better Access For The Black And Brown Community

What is the importance of prison education program?
 2
00:00:05.005 --> 00:00:08.008 And then the follow up question, why is it important
 3
00:00:08.108 --> 00:00:11.111 for that to transfer out here?
 4
00:00:11.277 --> 00:00:14.280 Well, I think prison education programs are important
 5
00:00:14.314 --> 00:00:18.318 regardless of what level it is, because it's transformative.
 6
00:00:18.351 --> 00:00:21.354 And we know how education helps
 7
00:00:21.654 --> 00:00:26.654 to set one up for career opportunities, for leadership opportunities,
 8
00:00:26.659 --> 00:00:29.963 for pretty much anything that you can imagine
 9
00:00:29.963 --> 00:00:33.233 requires education and the skills of education.
 10
00:00:33.466 --> 00:00:37.904 Going through education, you learn certain skills like how to think critically.
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00:00:38.505 --> 00:00:41.508 You know how to set a schedule, how to commit to a schedule,
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00:00:41.574 --> 00:00:44.377 how to read and write
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00:00:44.377 --> 00:00:47.814 with intentionality, and to get your message across.
 14
00:00:48.314 --> 00:00:51.751 So all of these kind of soft skills come with learning,
 15
00:00:52.218 --> 00:00:55.221 and the more you learn, the better you get at those things.
 16
00:00:55.388 --> 00:01:00.388 So inside, I think that's really important for a lot of us because school was such
 17
00:01:02.562 --> 00:01:04.364 a hard road for many people.
 18
00:01:04.364 --> 00:01:05.999 It was very traumatizing.
 19
00:01:05.999 --> 00:01:08.768 Many folks inside come from environments
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00:01:08.768 --> 00:01:12.205 where some of the schools were very damaging.
 21
00:01:12.972 --> 00:01:17.972 And to be in a prison setting to have some of the best universities
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00:01:18.011 --> 00:01:21.548 now have prison education programs is an opportunity.
 23
00:01:21.714 --> 00:01:24.717 For the student inside,
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00:01:25.418 --> 00:01:27.921 it's another identity.
 25
00:01:27.921 --> 00:01:30.156 You know, when we enter into prison,
 26
00:01:30.156 --> 00:01:33.159 we're stripped of our name and we're given a number.
 27
00:01:33.660 --> 00:01:36.729 And so through incarceration,
 28
00:01:36.729 --> 00:01:39.999 I think we have an opportunity to take on roles.
 29
00:01:40.300 --> 00:01:44.237 So I think that's really important to have alternative identities
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00:01:44.437 --> 00:01:47.440 while we're in prison other than that number.
 31
00:01:47.540 --> 00:01:49.409 And education provides that.
 32
00:01:49.409 --> 00:01:52.412 So it's really important, I think education inside
 33
00:01:52.412 --> 00:01:56.616 because it's so transformative and it provides a lot of opportunities.
 34
00:01:56.616 --> 00:02:01.321 That's why the role that I'm in here at Pitzer, as the senior director
 35
00:02:01.321 --> 00:02:06.321 for the Justice Education Center, allows me to operate and manage
 36
00:02:06.893 --> 00:02:11.364 the inside out program that we have, where we bring 50
 37
00:02:11.364 --> 00:02:16.364 to 60 students into the California Rehabilitation Center on a weekly basis
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00:02:16.870 --> 00:02:20.707 to have their classes alongside incarcerated students.
 39
00:02:21.007 --> 00:02:26.007 And when you blend those two communities together, you've got these
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00:02:28.148 --> 00:02:29.449 mature students.
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00:02:29.449 --> 00:02:33.153 With all of this lived experience
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00:02:33.853 --> 00:02:38.057 mixing with traditional students who are young and curious
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00:02:38.391 --> 00:02:43.391 about life and smart and, you know, wanting to engage with
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00:02:43.730 --> 00:02:47.033 some of the social problems of the world and make a difference in the world.
 45
00:02:47.200 --> 00:02:50.203 When you bring these two worlds together,
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00:02:51.104 --> 00:02:55.208 it's incredible, you know, and to see it happen firsthand
 47
00:02:55.441 --> 00:02:59.112 and to actually be teaching a class, it's just really beautiful.
 48
00:02:59.112 --> 00:03:02.448 It's one of the best experiences I've had at Pitzer
 49
00:03:02.448 --> 00:03:07.387 College is being part of the inside out program, and taking those students inside
 50
00:03:07.887 --> 00:03:11.357 and hearing those conversations in the van as we're driving
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00:03:11.691 --> 00:03:16.196 about the students inside and what they want to talk about
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00:03:16.196 --> 00:03:18.264 and what the questions that they want to ask.
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00:03:18.264 --> 00:03:20.200 But also when we get there,
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00:03:20.200 --> 00:03:23.803 seeing how they interact, there's a community being built.
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00:03:23.803 --> 00:03:28.374 There's there's relationships being built that are between those students,
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00:03:28.641 --> 00:03:32.378 from student to student, like what happens in
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00:03:32.378 --> 00:03:35.949 traditional classrooms except they're happening in a prison.
 

You can enter this field with or without a degree. The most important thing is to have heart for the work.

I was sentenced to life in prison when I was 24 years old. I was filled with shame and guilt. The other women in prison really supported me and saw things in me that I didn't see in myself. I know now after surviving prison that I can do anything.

Each day, I bridge two worlds—college campuses and prison classrooms—leading justice education across the Claremont Colleges. My work includes recruiting and supporting faculty, building Inside-Out courses, mentoring students, and shaping a new major in Justice Education. I collaborate across campuses to design curriculum, expand programs, and advocate for policy change that supports reentry and reimagines justice.

Founding Senior Director, Claremont Justice Education Center

There's no way the Claremont Colleges will allow a 47-year old Black woman who just served 23 years in prison on their campuses.

Opportunities & Possibilities

The Importance Of Prison Education Programs

Looking
 2
00:00:01.267 --> 00:00:04.270 back, right when you started your journey,
 3
00:00:04.637 --> 00:00:08.708 what do you know now that you wish you would have known then?
 4
00:00:09.709 --> 00:00:12.812 Okay, well, going into prison, what I wish I would have knew
 5
00:00:12.812 --> 00:00:15.815 then is don't go.
 6
00:00:17.183 --> 00:00:18.284 Whatever you do,
 7
00:00:18.284 --> 00:00:21.287 do not end up in prison.
 8
00:00:22.455 --> 00:00:26.059 But, I was 24 when I went to prison,
 9
00:00:26.059 --> 00:00:30.463 and my first time being involved with the criminal legal punishment system,
 10
00:00:31.498 --> 00:00:36.102 and I was recently released from the military.
 11
00:00:36.302 --> 00:00:41.302 You know, I'd been home maybe a year and a half, and I got to CIW.
 12
00:00:41.841 --> 00:00:46.246 And I really didn't know how I was going to do a life sentence,
 13
00:00:47.213 --> 00:00:50.383 but it was the women in that prison that really supported
 14
00:00:50.383 --> 00:00:53.686 me and saw things within me that I really didn't see in myself,
 15
00:00:53.686 --> 00:00:57.424 because I was so full of shame and embarrassment and guilt.
 16
00:00:57.957 --> 00:01:00.994 I didn't know what I was going to do or how to do it.
 17
00:01:01.327 --> 00:01:06.327 But I saw them in class, and I saw them painting and participating
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00:01:06.699 --> 00:01:11.699 in all kinds of leadership programs, and really changing the environment
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00:01:11.771 --> 00:01:15.842 and the landscape of the prison into something that they wanted it to be.
 20
00:01:16.443 --> 00:01:18.845 And so what I wish I knew
 21
00:01:18.845 --> 00:01:21.915 then is that community lives in prison.
 22
00:01:22.182 --> 00:01:27.182 Opportunities among your peers are important in that I would have
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00:01:27.387 --> 00:01:32.387 relationships and build friendships with people that would last a lifetime.
 24
00:01:32.659 --> 00:01:33.726 I didn't know that then.
 25
00:01:33.726 --> 00:01:35.095 I know that now.
 26
00:01:35.095 --> 00:01:37.564 Post release, that I can do anything.
 27
00:01:38.531 --> 00:01:41.534 You know, if you can survive
 28
00:01:41.801 --> 00:01:44.737 prison, living in a six by ten, an eight by ten,
 29
00:01:44.737 --> 00:01:48.808 a four by six solitary confinement, you can do anything.
 30
00:01:49.242 --> 00:01:51.344 We are superheroes when we come out,
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00:01:51.344 --> 00:01:55.081 we have to see ourselves not only as survivors and people
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00:01:55.081 --> 00:01:59.152 who have this lived experience, but people who have overcome it.
 33
00:01:59.552 --> 00:02:03.590 And if you can overcome that, there is nothing we can't do.
 

Support & Encouragement

Overcoming Prison

How would you recommend somebody my age
 2
00:00:03.136 --> 00:00:06.373 to go out and start being involved in our communities?
 3
00:00:06.673 --> 00:00:08.775 Well, honestly, just do it.
 4
00:00:08.775 --> 00:00:11.811 It's just kind of like the it's kind of like the Nike slogan, right?
 5
00:00:11.811 --> 00:00:14.647 It's figuring out what you really enjoy doing,
 6
00:00:14.647 --> 00:00:16.383 and just trying a bunch of different things,
 7
00:00:16.383 --> 00:00:20.453 knowing that, there's no wrong way to be involved in community.
 8
00:00:20.487 --> 00:00:23.223 Right? So my recommendation is try it.
 9
00:00:23.223 --> 00:00:25.458 Doesn't mean you have to do it forever, right?
 10
00:00:25.458 --> 00:00:27.394 But commit to whatever you commit to.
 11
00:00:27.394 --> 00:00:29.262 So if you tell them you're going to do it for three months,
 12
00:00:29.262 --> 00:00:31.664 do it for three months, but after that, you might be like,
 13
00:00:31.664 --> 00:00:33.566 that's not the thing that I'm interested in.
 14
00:00:33.566 --> 00:00:37.404 There's so many things for us to do in community, right, to support each other
 15
00:00:37.404 --> 00:00:38.571 and to support the work.
 16
00:00:38.571 --> 00:00:40.240 So, there's room for everybody
 17
00:00:40.240 --> 00:00:42.842 and there's room for you to find the thing that excites you.
 18
00:00:42.842 --> 00:00:45.345 I am a big fan of just getting out there and trying something,
 19
00:00:45.345 --> 00:00:48.214 letting that not be the right thing and then finding something else. Right.
 20
00:00:48.214 --> 00:00:50.250 But just keep moving and you keep showing up.
 

2025 SXSW Conference
Interviewed in Austin, TX but works in Kansas City, MO USA.
advanced-degree

I recommend just getting out there and trying things. There is no wrong way to be involved in community. Try to hone in on an aspect you're interested in and then find an opportunity to try it out. If it ends up not being the right fit, try something else. Just keep moving and keep showing up for your community.

I spend my days building systems that help our team move as one, aligning strategy, communication, and community impact. As director of strategic initiatives, I guide our grantmaking work toward real change in entrepreneurship, education, and workforce development. Every part of my day connects back to purpose, people, and finding our shared direction.

Director of Strategic Initiatives

Advice For Engaging With Community

You've mentioned parents and like, we've both,
 2
00:00:03.603 --> 00:00:06.373 you know, had amazing, like, I don't know, upbringings
 3
00:00:06.373 --> 00:00:08.708 and like people who like, really poured into us.
 4
00:00:08.708 --> 00:00:10.377 But I know that that's not always possible
 5
00:00:10.377 --> 00:00:14.114 for a lot of people, especially, you know, people in disadvantaged communities.
 6
00:00:14.114 --> 00:00:15.715 And so I'm curious, like
 7
00:00:15.715 --> 00:00:19.319 how have you found ways to meet people where they are both like the parents,
 8
00:00:19.319 --> 00:00:22.489 but then also like students when you're actually teaching them these things?
 9
00:00:22.622 --> 00:00:27.622 I think helping parents, one, know that conversations are important.
 10
00:00:28.128 --> 00:00:31.131 The kids I grew up with, their dad might not have been around,
 11
00:00:31.231 --> 00:00:32.665 but they're around the,
 12
00:00:32.665 --> 00:00:35.535 you know, the kids this generation, they're around for their kids.
 13
00:00:35.535 --> 00:00:39.305 And, you know, they're pouring into their kids as best as they can.
 14
00:00:39.305 --> 00:00:41.074 And so I think that's where you meet them.
 15
00:00:41.074 --> 00:00:43.410 You know, where they're motivated.
 16
00:00:43.410 --> 00:00:45.678 They're there, they're pouring into their kids.
 17
00:00:45.678 --> 00:00:48.648 How do you support them in doing that?
 18
00:00:48.648 --> 00:00:52.585 In ways that, you know, will improve the odds that their kids can
 19
00:00:52.585 --> 00:00:53.486 make it through?
 20
00:00:53.486 --> 00:00:56.990 I just see, regardless of kind of the political climate,
 21
00:00:56.990 --> 00:01:01.761 I think there's just been a push to empower technology,
 22
00:01:01.795 --> 00:01:05.598 or enable technology to replace things
 23
00:01:05.598 --> 00:01:09.269 that we need to develop as human beings.
 24
00:01:09.402 --> 00:01:13.673 But at the same time, like you yourself work in a field that you know, utilizes
 25
00:01:13.706 --> 00:01:16.876 technology to be able to educate and bring knowledge
 26
00:01:16.876 --> 00:01:18.344 to people that otherwise wouldn't have it.
 27
00:01:18.344 --> 00:01:23.083 So I'm curious how you kind of balance what seems like the dichotomy of,
 28
00:01:23.083 --> 00:01:26.953 you know, technology to replace versus technology to augment.
 29
00:01:27.287 --> 00:01:31.991 For me, like, I think, how can technology be used to like, strengthen
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00:01:31.991 --> 00:01:35.295 human relationships, strengthen human connections, strengthen
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00:01:35.295 --> 00:01:39.032 like real conversations, to help people connect
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00:01:39.032 --> 00:01:42.902 to people and places in ways that are meaningful.
 33
00:01:42.936 --> 00:01:47.373 And so technology can be used to do that versus looking at technology
 34
00:01:47.373 --> 00:01:48.675 to give you the answer.
 

2024 BMHE Roadtrip
entrepreneur
did-not-complete-college

It's important to take classes and seek out experiences that support entrepreneurship.

Every day, I work to make math more engaging for kids and families. As the founder of MathTalk, I create tools that turn everyday spaces—parks, businesses, and train stations—into fun, interactive math-learning environments. Whether testing our Math Everywhere app, partnering with local businesses, or exploring new ways to integrate math into daily life, my goal is to help kids see math not as a subject to fear but as something meaningful and exciting​.

Founder & CEO

Math and advanced education are only for certain groups of students.

Utilizing Technology To Aid Learning

You talked a lot about helping students find a sense of belonging
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00:00:02.936 --> 00:00:04.471 and mentoring students.
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00:00:04.471 --> 00:00:07.941 How did you get to that point in your life where you felt you found your
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00:00:08.108 --> 00:00:09.209 sense of belonging?
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00:00:09.209 --> 00:00:13.246 It is a continuous journey, but I had to be honest with myself.
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00:00:13.246 --> 00:00:17.317 So identifying and being able to be comfortable, publicly identifying
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00:00:17.317 --> 00:00:20.854 as a queer black male, the first time I said it, out loud in the public sector,
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00:00:20.887 --> 00:00:25.225 I was in my thirties. And so for me doing that, I also understand is that how
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00:00:25.225 --> 00:00:30.130 I'm showing up as myself helps others be authentic and show for themselves.
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00:00:30.130 --> 00:00:33.867 And so I think really how I find I belong is community.
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00:00:34.501 --> 00:00:39.072 and so who am I connecting with that pours into me
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00:00:39.072 --> 00:00:41.141 and that that pouring into me
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00:00:41.141 --> 00:00:44.277 allows me also pour to them and so it's having that community.
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00:00:44.277 --> 00:00:48.548 But it all started with me having to be honest with myself and question.
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00:00:48.548 --> 00:00:50.483 And so I had to understand,
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00:00:50.483 --> 00:00:53.219 How can I give myself to someone else if I don't know who I am?
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00:00:53.219 --> 00:00:58.219 And so that has been a transformative journey of discovery of who am I?
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00:00:58.925 --> 00:01:00.660 Who is Marques Rand Dexter.
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00:01:00.660 --> 00:01:04.998 So for me, it has truly been a journey of discovery of myself.
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00:01:05.198 --> 00:01:07.033 And through that journey,
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00:01:07.033 --> 00:01:11.137 how does that also create space for others to do the same?
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00:01:11.304 --> 00:01:13.740 To feel comfortable regardless of who they are,
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00:01:13.740 --> 00:01:16.776 How you taking up space as who you are and how you identify
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00:01:17.043 --> 00:01:19.279 does not impede on the space I take up.
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00:01:19.279 --> 00:01:23.249 And if it does, then I need to think about, well, is there enough space
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00:01:23.249 --> 00:01:26.252 and what is this space and am I comfortable in this space
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00:01:26.419 --> 00:01:30.023 because how I show up in my space has no boundaries.
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00:01:30.256 --> 00:01:32.225 So I'm always going to interact with others.
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00:01:32.225 --> 00:01:34.327 And so as we all kind of say it's a vibe.
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00:01:34.327 --> 00:01:37.730 And so I'mma navigate this system and every system
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00:01:37.897 --> 00:01:41.601 as best as I possibly can without losing myself.
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00:01:42.035 --> 00:01:43.236 You know, people knowing
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00:01:43.236 --> 00:01:47.607 I'm queer has nothing to do with the work I can do or anything else.
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00:01:47.607 --> 00:01:51.544 But at the same time, I know for some students and some individuals
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00:01:51.878 --> 00:01:55.448 it affirms who they are and know, regardless of who you are,
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00:01:55.715 --> 00:01:58.451 you can ascend to whatever levels and do what you want to do.
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00:01:58.451 --> 00:02:00.453 That's just a part of who you are.
 

Your path must be unique, intentional, and informed by your experiences, identities, and skills. There's no such thing as one way to pursue a career path. I'm a career changer and this career path took me into my 30s to realize this is the type of work I love to do and the environment that I truly thrive in.

Making the decision to change careers was huge for me. I looked to my mother and grandmother for guidance and after receiving their support, I went for it. I look back now at how happy and free I felt that I got to start anew.

Finding my sense of belonging included becoming comfortable publicly identifying as a queer Black male. You can't give yourself to someone else (those you're trying to support) if you're not showing up as your true authentic self.

No two days are the same in my work supporting Black male students at the University of Georgia. Some days, I’m strategizing new programs. Other days, I’m mentoring students, consulting with faculty, or analyzing data to anticipate challenges. I make sure students feel seen, supported, and empowered to reach their goals.

Associate Director in the Office of Inclusive Excellence

Individuality

Showing Up As Your Full Authentic Self

Did community play a huge role in you wanting to pursue law?
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00:00:03.136 --> 00:00:04.938 Like, what was that path to get into law?
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00:00:04.938 --> 00:00:09.938 My journey was different because I was going to law school at night,
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00:00:10.176 --> 00:00:13.947 and I was an officer in the Navy at the same time.
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00:00:14.214 --> 00:00:16.249 As I became an officer,
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00:00:16.282 --> 00:00:20.587 I went to Philadelphia, and I was exposed to some community organizers
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00:00:21.054 --> 00:00:24.758 who were doing neighborhood beautification projects.
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00:00:24.758 --> 00:00:29.095 We were having what's called African Center Study Groups, and we were reading books.
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00:00:29.095 --> 00:00:32.298 And from there, community just kind of began
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00:00:32.298 --> 00:00:35.602 to inform my decisions about the direction of my life.
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00:00:35.835 --> 00:00:39.039 There was a one of a kind
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00:00:39.139 --> 00:00:42.409 HBCU program through Bowie State University,
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00:00:42.642 --> 00:00:45.645 where they offered a master's in public administration,
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00:00:45.779 --> 00:00:48.748 but I never set foot on campus, so they would have
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00:00:48.748 --> 00:00:53.586 the instructors come to the base and we would spend the weekend learning.
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00:00:53.720 --> 00:00:56.723 And when I finished, that was in May of '98.
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00:00:57.157 --> 00:01:02.095 And in August, I was starting Georgia State Law School part time program.
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00:01:02.162 --> 00:01:03.997 While I was in Georgia State,
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00:01:03.997 --> 00:01:06.966 I was able to work as a graduate research assistant
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00:01:06.966 --> 00:01:11.237 in the African American Studies department, it's now Africana Studies.
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00:01:11.371 --> 00:01:15.408 And ultimately, I was able to reconnect with my law school friend,
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00:01:15.408 --> 00:01:19.746 Robert Boseman, who's another HBCU grad from Florida A&amp;M University
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00:01:19.913 --> 00:01:24.913 And linked up in 2007 and started Davis Bozeman Law,
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00:01:25.452 --> 00:01:27.420 and have been building ever since.
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00:01:27.420 --> 00:01:30.890 I did a lot of criminal defense, so I represented folks from
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00:01:31.257 --> 00:01:32.759 misdemeanors to murder.
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00:01:32.759 --> 00:01:35.862 Then I began a transition into civil rights law.
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00:01:35.862 --> 00:01:40.862 So most of what I do now is represent people who've been either injured,
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00:01:41.034 --> 00:01:44.737 mostly honestly, who've been killed during law enforcement encounters.
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00:01:44.871 --> 00:01:47.774 So when I say community, what we say here,
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00:01:47.774 --> 00:01:50.977 even at our law firm, is that we are not self-made.
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00:01:51.010 --> 00:01:52.212 We are community made.
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00:01:52.212 --> 00:01:54.214 That's one of our slogans
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00:01:54.214 --> 00:01:57.817 because we've relied on the community to build us, to choose us.
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00:01:57.951 --> 00:02:00.386 You keep thinking when things get hard,
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00:02:00.386 --> 00:02:04.057 you think about your community, who sent you here, who will rely on you,
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00:02:04.057 --> 00:02:07.160 the young people that are now looking up to you, right.
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00:02:07.160 --> 00:02:09.229 And the elders who invested in you.
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00:02:09.229 --> 00:02:11.264 And so this is all about community.
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00:02:11.264 --> 00:02:13.299 Your journey is, as well as mine.
 

2024 BMHE Roadtrip
veteran
navy
advanced-degree
hbcu

As a civil rights attorney, my days are spent fighting for justice—suing cities, police, and jails when they violate people’s rights. I collaborate with organizers to build power in Black communities and teach the next generation of leaders at Clark Atlanta University. Beyond the courtroom, I mentor young Black men, helping them see their potential and find their path.

Founding Partner

Inspiration

How Community Influenced My Career In Law

Do you have any like tips, advice or things of that nature?
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00:00:03.436 --> 00:00:05.071 So much advice I think.
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00:00:05.071 --> 00:00:06.773 just find your people.
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00:00:06.773 --> 00:00:11.773 And I can remember back to when I was kind of exploring
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00:00:11.945 --> 00:00:15.115 what now I know is called civic tech or public interest tech.
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00:00:15.181 --> 00:00:18.918 I felt like I was the only person that had these interests in technology,
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00:00:18.918 --> 00:00:20.954 but also social impact and public service.
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00:00:20.954 --> 00:00:23.923 And that is a really isolating place to be.
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00:00:23.923 --> 00:00:25.492 And finding your peers,
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00:00:25.492 --> 00:00:29.629 finding other people who are similarly minded is really powerful.
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00:00:29.629 --> 00:00:32.866 And I think we're really lucky now There are a number of nonprofit
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00:00:32.866 --> 00:00:35.168 organizations, a number of groups out there
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00:00:35.168 --> 00:00:38.605 whose job is to build community and share resources and job
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00:00:38.605 --> 00:00:42.842 opportunities in this space, and so seek those out, find them.
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00:00:43.043 --> 00:00:45.645 I think that is what I encourage people to do.
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00:00:45.645 --> 00:00:50.645 And I think also to take an expansive look at what public interest technology is.
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00:00:51.718 --> 00:00:52.786 I am biased always.
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00:00:52.786 --> 00:00:55.355 I will always say, Hey, I think the digital corps
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00:00:55.355 --> 00:00:57.991 is a great opportunity for people starting their career.
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00:00:57.991 --> 00:01:02.529 But the reality is public interest technology is not just the U.S.
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00:01:02.529 --> 00:01:03.163 Digital Core.
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00:01:03.163 --> 00:01:06.466 It is not just the work that we do here in the federal government.
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00:01:06.800 --> 00:01:09.602 There's so much to be done at the state and local level.
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00:01:09.602 --> 00:01:13.273 Often your local government, even nonprofit organizations.
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00:01:13.273 --> 00:01:17.944 Often that is where you can see and direct day to day impact on people's lives.
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00:01:18.044 --> 00:01:21.714 So don't be afraid to look in different areas that aren't
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00:01:21.714 --> 00:01:24.851 just kind of the big shiny programs, because at the end of the day,
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00:01:24.918 --> 00:01:26.786 this work is everywhere.
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00:01:26.786 --> 00:01:28.521 And I think the last thing related to finding
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00:01:28.521 --> 00:01:32.092 your people is One of the coolest things about public interest is like
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00:01:32.092 --> 00:01:33.460 none of us are competitors.
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00:01:33.460 --> 00:01:36.863 No one is competing to say, Hey, I've got a profit margin
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00:01:36.863 --> 00:01:39.866 we got to make sure that I earn more than you or put you out of business.
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00:01:40.066 --> 00:01:41.401 Like we're all on the same team.
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00:01:41.401 --> 00:01:43.002 We're all trying to make the world a better place.
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00:01:43.002 --> 00:01:46.606 And so I tell people, don't hesitate to play the student card.
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00:01:46.606 --> 00:01:48.741 Don't hesitate to play the new here card.
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00:01:48.741 --> 00:01:52.378 And what I mean by that is just reach out to people cold email message
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00:01:52.378 --> 00:01:55.548 someone on LinkedIn and say, I'm interested in what you do.
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00:01:55.548 --> 00:01:59.152 Like, can we do coffee and can I ask you questions?
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00:01:59.219 --> 00:02:02.689 because often when I tell people what we do here at the Digital Core,
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00:02:02.889 --> 00:02:07.026 one of the responses that we get is like, shoot I wish a program like that existed
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00:02:07.160 --> 00:02:08.761 when I was coming out of school.
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00:02:08.761 --> 00:02:12.765 So people are really wanting to pay that forward and to lean into that
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00:02:12.866 --> 00:02:15.935 but at the end of the day, a piece of advice is just jump right in
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00:02:15.935 --> 00:02:19.272 and apply to that job, reach out to that person.
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00:02:19.272 --> 00:02:23.243 And this world has a funny way of kind of putting in a position to do
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00:02:23.243 --> 00:02:24.277 cool things.
 

There is no one path to take. We are more effective when our cohorts embody the breadth of life experiences of people across the country. Especially in technology, we know that there are so many non-traditional educational paths. At the U.S. Digital Corps, we all have varied backgrounds. We have almost 100 colleges and universities represented among our fellows and even more fields of study. We have career changers and former military, as well as many people who joined right out of school.

These days, I spend a lot of time in meetings. We now have a team of 10-15 program staff supporting over 120 Fellows, and there's a lot to discuss. On any given day, it may be Fellow learning and development (i.e. what kinds of trainings and topics we should facilitate), recruitment and selection of our next cohort, and helping Fellows and agencies troubleshoot individual issues. It definitely keeps me on my toes and requires a lot of context switching. 

Community

Working For Better Access For The Black And Brown Community

Working For Better Access For The Black And Brown Community

Mac Hudson

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