Law Schools

1L Class Represents At Harvard Law School — And It’s Picture Perfect

This is one of the largest classes of black students in the law school's history.

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Harvard Law School Class of 2021 Representing (Photo by Marvin Germain @shot_by_marv)

“When you bring my name up to the judge, just tell him facts / Tell him how we funding all these kids to go to college / Tell him how we ceasing all these wars, stopping violence / Trying to fix the system and the way that they designed it / I think they want me silenced (Shush) / Oh, say you can see, I don’t feel like I’m free / Locked down in my cell, shackled from ankle to feet / Judge banging that gavel, turned me to slave from a king / Another day in the bing, I got to hang from a string.” — Meek Mill

This week, David Casey, Chief Diversity Officer at CVS Health, shared a picture on his LinkedIn of 60 first-year Harvard Law School students (1Ls) from the African Diaspora. As of today, it has over 600 likes. My friend Van Ann Bui, SEO Law Director, brought this picture-perfect moment to ATL’s attention.

I couldn’t help but be reminded of another recent viral picture that originated from a neighborhood I lived in a few years back, Deep Ellum in Dallas, Texas. My former U.S. Department of Health and Human Services colleague Erica Broussard and the creative behind the photo, her husband NeAndre Broussard, have been the highlights of my social media feeds as of late.

As highlighted by NBC DFW earlier this month:

The photo shows about 100 men of color, dressed in suits, surrounding 6-year old Harper Anthony, of Chicago. The boy also wore a suit, and without direction, put his fist in the air. ‘It’s a great capture,’ said NeAndre Broussard. ‘It shows that while you’re up next, we’re all behind you and pushing you where you need to go.’

In his interview with ABC WJLA, Broussard stated that he was “trying to make a change, trying to change the narrative.” He started the Black Menswear social media national campaign following several police shootings of minority males. Broussard told ABC “Every time a victim was portrayed in the media, it was always the worst picture.” But time and time again, we witness how unconscious bias, implicit bias, and social narratives paint a much brighter picture of white perpetrators.

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On Monday, Us Director Jordan Peele told Ian Roberts, in front of the audience at Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre: “I don’t see myself casting a white dude as the lead in my movie. Not that I don’t like white dudes, but I’ve seen that movie. It really is one of the best, greatest pieces of this story, is feeling like we are in this time — a renaissance has happened and proved the myths about representation in the industry are false,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Peele’s comments will no doubt ruffle a few feathers. And it will likely offend those same birds who were offended by Brie Larson’s position, which was published in Marie Claire, of wanting to increase diversity in the film and press industries. As the saying goes, “when you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression.”

This week, I had the opportunity to catch up with the organizers of the Harvard 1L photograph shoot — Armani Madison, Daniel Oyolu, and Shane Fowler. Their journeys to law school and motivations for organizing a picture of one of the largest classes of black students in HLS’s history are truly remarkable. I found their stories inspirational and learned quite a bit from them. I believe you will as well. Here is a (lightly edited and condensed) write-up of our conversation:

Renwei Chung (RC): How did you choose your undergraduate school and then Harvard Law School?

Armani Madison

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Armani Madison (AM): As a low-income student, I received the opportunity to learn about and to apply free-of-charge to Brown University as a QuestBridge Scholar. For law school, I wanted an institution with a strong community of students of color, and which would provide the resources that would best support me in my education, such as a robust offering of clinics, empowering students to make real-world impact as they learn. The generosity of Harvard’s financial aid program also enabled me to make this decision.

Daniel Oyolu (DO): As much as I loved growing up in Texas, I wanted to explore another part of the country in college. After learning about liberal arts schools, I selected Bates College because of its scholarly reputation, down to Earth and collegial culture, location in the Northeast, and a generous financial aid package. For law school, I chose Harvard because it affords students the freedom and resources to fully pursue any intellectual or professional interests.

Shane Fowler (SF): Growing up in a working-class family, the financial benefits of attending an in-state public institution were very attractive. With that being said, I was a Wildcat at birth. I couldn’t imagine attending any other undergrad school than the University of Kentucky. For law school, I wanted to attend the school that gave me the most flexibility after graduation. OCS and OPIA at HLS really work hard to give students the widest range of opportunities.

RC: What motivated you to organize the photo?

AM: We wanted to find a way to celebrate the beauty and brilliance of our class and to inspire other students across the country with positive images of black students succeeding in higher education.

We knew that our class was among the largest classes of black students in Harvard Law’s history, and we wanted to visually tell that story. Within this one photo are many incredible narratives and ambitions, and we wanted to share this with others.

RC: What do you hope people take away from this picture?

AM: Although these pictures celebrate our class, the message goes beyond this. We intended for these pictures to inspire young people of color, and to impress upon them that people who look like them and have similar beginnings are surviving and thriving in the arena of higher education.

Regardless of where students matriculate, we want to encourage students to dream big, show them that success is possible, and let them know that we are rooting for them.

RC: What does representation mean to you?

Daniel Oyolu

DO: Our identities are shaped by history, our families and communities, lived experiences, and other circumstances. Representation is seeing the richness and complexity of your own identity in every part of society.

We want all students to think, “I can see myself there.” Sometimes, seeing the possibility is all you need to take the next step. Representation offers that possibility.

RC: Can you tell us a little bit about your background, life journey, and what originally interested you in law school?

AM: I’m from Stockbridge, Georgia. I attended Brown University for undergrad, where I studied Political Science. I was involved in campus activism and became particularly interested in causes impacting young people of color. The limited access to invested legal representation experienced by marginalized communities, particularly young people, is a grave injustice, and I hope to tackle the problem as a lawyer. I am interested in civil rights law.

DO: I was born in Toronto, Canada as the son of Nigerian immigrants and grew up in a very diverse Houston, Texas. Later, I attended Bates College in Maine, studied Spanish, and spent semesters abroad in Cuba, Spain, and Brazil. My experiences around the world showed me firsthand how individuals can live under the same legal system but not have equal opportunity to exercise their rights. I wanted to tackle these phenomena via law school.

SF: I’m from Cynthiana, Kentucky. It’s a blue-collar town with some of the most caring people you’ll ever meet. I went to the University of Kentucky, where I majored in Communications and minored in Biology. My interest in law school is rooted in my upbringing in Rural America. I hope to one day reduce the barriers on education, employment and healthcare that currently plague the region.

RC: What activities are you involved with outside the classroom?

AM: I am involved as a student attorney for the Harvard Prison Legal Assistance Project and the Harvard Defenders, an organization which represents low-income clients in criminal show-cause hearings. I am also a proctor (basically a super-RA) for first-year undergraduates at Harvard College. Outside of Harvard, I am involved as an active member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated.

DO: I am a member of the Harvard Mediation Program where I co-mediate various types of disputes in small claims court in the city. Also, I am part of the Community Outreach Initiative of the Harvard Immigration Project where we advise recent immigrants on options for immigration relief. Additionally, I’m an active member of the Black Law Students Association, Harvard African Law Association, and the Texas Club.

SF: I joined the Mississippi Delta Project. It is a student organization that provides policy and legal services to clients in the Mississippi Delta region. Aside from that, I am a member of the Community Outreach committee for the Black Law Student Association here at Harvard.

RC: What advice do you have for others who are thinking about applying to law school?

AM: Reach out to current students and graduates doing what you want to do and ask questions. More likely than not, any of us would be thrilled to talk to you. As students of color, we are less likely to have close connections with people with professional degrees. Neither the law school website nor a law school blog will give you an accurate sense of what it is like to be a student of color at a given institution.

DO: Law school is a significant investment so take your time and assess why you want to attend. Take advantage of the pre-law resources at your undergraduate institution and reach out to current and past law school students to learn more about the process and how to navigate it. Lastly, law school admission counselors are people just like you who are captivated by compelling stories. There is only one YOU in the world. Share that story.

Shane Fowler

SF: Be confident in your story. Let that prospective school really know who you are because you matter, and your background, your upbringing, your perspective is powerful. Also, understand that you can excel at numerous institutions around this country. The “T-14” schools don’t have a monopoly on producing amazing lawyers. You can do great things anywhere.

RC: What is something they don’t tell you about law school?

AM: Just how intense it is. I was definitely not prepared for how much work law school is, from the nights spent at the library to the experience of having to change entirely how you have been used to writing for your entire life. My suggestion is to ask questions where you have them, to build relationships, to stay active with a hobby, and to maintain a way to remind yourself why you came here when motivation is low.

DO: Call me crazy but it is possible to enjoy your time in law school. Is law school hard? Absolutely! However, lots of things in life are hard and for many students of color, life presents obstacles that are harder than law school itself. Do not shortchange or underestimate your ability to thrive. Find your community of friends, engage that inspirational professor, pursue hobbies outside of school, and don’t forget the passion that drove you to law school.

SF: The self-doubt it may bring. Personally, my first month at Harvard Law was plagued with insecurity. I convinced myself that I didn’t belong here. Thankfully, the black community at HLS, my section classmates, and my Professors were incredibly supportive and helped me reaffirm that my spot at this school was deserved. So, I want to reaffirm to anyone who may be experiencing similar doubt – you belong!

RC: What would you change about our society if you could?

AM: Having worked in education before law school, I would love to see our educational system transformed into one of equity and intention as it relates to serving marginalized students. I would love to see free higher education and vastly improved infrastructure to serve students of color. While we’re at it, let’s remove school resource officers and reform the ways that we evaluate academic performance and handle student discipline in the K-12 system. Can we also abolish standardized testing?

DO: I wish all individuals in our society had adequate resources to live the lives they choose to live and not the lives they have to live. I don’t consider myself to be a special person. I was simply fortunate enough to have access to a great education, extracurricular activities, strong support system, healthcare, economic security, and safe neighborhood. If more students growing up had access to these same resources, our society would dramatically change for the better.

SF: The economic inequality and wealth disparity in this country presents unique, and alarming challenges for the future of our society. I would change how our society views those at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder. Viewing the poor with compassion would lead to policy decisions that promote affordable healthcare, adequate working wages, and educational opportunities without the crippling student loan debt.

RC: If you could put anything on a billboard outside of HLS, what would it be?

AM: “Bring your full self and let your authenticity shine.”

DO: “Live Your Renaissance.”

SF: “The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.”

If you have any further questions for our interviewees, be sure to reach out to them: Armani can be reached via LinkedIn, Facebook, and email. Daniel can be reached via LinkedIn, Instagram, and email. And Shane can be reached by Instagram and email.

On behalf of everyone here at Above the Law, I want to thank Armani, Daniel, and Shane for sharing their story and wisdom with our audience. We look forward to following their successes!

Renwei Chung is the Diversity Columnist at Above the Law. You can contact Renwei by email at projectrenwei@gmail.com, follow him on Twitter (@renweichung), or connect with him on LinkedIn.

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