NYU Gallatin Global Fellowship in Human Rights Blog

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Final Reflection

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Santana Kavanaugh (NYU Gallatin) |National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers| NYC, United States

Hello Everyone,

I would like to use this post to acknowledge the gratitude that I have for The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. What I appreciated most at NACDL was their effort to always acknowledge the racial aspects of the injustices within the criminal justice system. I know from past experiences at nonprofit organizations that language is indeed political. For example, in 2020 when I worked for an organization in Kentucky that registered “underrepresented” Kentuckians to vote, it was obvious that our mission was to register “diverse” voters but within the organization’s walls, terms like “African Americans”, “People of Color” and “Racism” were subtly left out of our vocabulary; It would have been too much of a risk to racialize the organization with the upcoming election. At NACDL, the directors ensure that anything the organization produces, If rightfully so, acknowledges racial inequality. Furthermore, although the NACDL staff wasn’t necessarily diverse, the space was inclusive. I found myself using African American Vernacular English in the office and It wasn’t just because my supervisor was Black. Somehow, subconsciously I felt comfortable speaking my true tongue around everyone, not just my supervisor. I cannot yet fully articulate this process but I would like to study this phenomenon further one day.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. I was able to gather enough information to complete a report on the overrepresentation of African Americans in the U.S. incarceration system and its relevance to the 1951 We Charge Genocide petition as well as a mock United Nations resolution that calls for reparations for African Americans. Furthermore, I partook in multiple projects with NACDL pertaining to cannabis legislation, reproductive justice, and LGBTQIA+ abuse in prisons. I helped write a clemency petition to the President, attended a conference that worked to support people who have been criminalized for getting abortions, and because of the NACDL’s location, I was able to go on several trips, most notably, the African American History Museum, The Holocaust Museum, The Civil Rights Museum, and the United States Supreme Court Justice building.

At the beginning of the summer, as I prepared for my flight from Kentucky to Washington, D.C., I pondered on whether or not I made the right decision by staying in the U.S. I have never been outside the United States. So, as I boarded my flight I began to second-guess my decision. I thought to myself “Why didn’t I use this opportunity to study abroad?” It would be best to study the persecution of African Americans in America but still, my thoughts persisted for three and a half hours. Fast forward to my two-and-a-half-hour train ride from Washington D.C. to NYC. Not only was I satisfied with my decision to study in D.C., but I had grown a newfound connection with the city because of its rich African-American history and culture. As I reflect on my time with NACDL this summer, I have concluded that Washington, D.C was indeed the best place to have pursued this project.

Thank you so much for reading!!!!!!!!!!!

-Santana Kavanaugh

Blog Post 3

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Santana Kavanaugh (NYU Gallatin) |National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers| NYC, United States

Hello Everyone,

As a quick update, I have continued to work on multiple projects with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, including the “50 Years of a Mass Incarceration” public education campaign, the planning of several expungement clinics around the country, and updating the NACDL website with information on racial disparities within the criminal justice system. Also, the NACDL publishes the magazine, “Champion.” Next month I’ll have my own column where I discuss my project and why I believe criminal defense lawyers should take race into account more often in their field (WOOT WOOT)!

I decided to display my summer findings in the form of a report on systemic racism in the criminal justice system. I was inspired to do so after reading a recent report by the Vera Institute of Justice on Oklahoma’s jail conditions and policies. I have also written a draft resolution in connection to the “1951 We Charge Genocide Petition.” I wrote the proposal in the form of a United Nations General Assembly resolution, and it includes over fifteen restorative justice initiatives that I believe The United States should take to recognize and compensate for the harm done to African-Americans and indigenous peoples. Much of the issues I address in the resolution stem from the ten-point reparations plan created by the National African American Reparations Commission. 

On a separate note, today, I had lunch with two of my (only) black colleagues, most of our conversation was about race; how racism has been normalized in the political atmosphere, how white supremacists have become more audacious, how it shouldn’t be our responsibility as Black Women to educate the ignorant, and how nothing will be done unless we do just that. It was a long conversation — it was productive but frightening. Considering the harmful comments from Florida’s governor and the recent Supreme Court decisions, I, much like many other people of color in this country am instilled with fear. I worry about my future, I worry about my sibling’s future, and most of all I worry that we, as a nation are moving backward. I have found this project to be both distressing and cathartic. As I research the injustices of my very own people, I am confronted yet again with the evil realities of this country. But as I monitor the work of California and DC, and prepare my own proposal for restorative justice, I am in many ways instilled with hope.

 

Thank you for reading!

 

First Week at NACDL

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Santana Kavanaugh (NYU Gallatin) |National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers| NYC, United States

Hello Everyone, 

I write amidst a difficult time. It has been exactly a week since I started my internship with the National Association of Defense Lawyers, and while I’m enjoying my time in Washington, D.C., it was also a week ago that I lost a close family member. I hold a great deal of responsibility within my family because I am a first-generation student and the eldest of five. In all honesty, it is my family that motivated me to open the doors that I walk through today, and so not being able to support them in person has been perplexing, to say the least. Although recent days have been tough, I have hope in the days ahead. Interestingly enough, this situation has, in a way, brought me more motivation for this project. As I video call my family each day, I am reminded of the reason why I’m here.

On a more positive note,

I was a bit nervous about working for NACDL mostly because of how professional and educated the staff is. I’d like to think that I have these traits as well, but as a young person, there is always an assumption that I am lacking in these areas—well, I haven’t received any complaints yet. I think they like me!

Currently, I’m working on one of NACDL’s racial justice initiatives called “50 Years of Mass Incarceration,” which is a project aimed at educating people on the history of mass incarceration and the current local and federal policy efforts to end the exponentially growing rate of incarcerated individuals in the United States. Furthermore, I’ve been doing research with NACDL’s Fourth Amendment Department to learn about the way that technology produces racial injustice within the legal system. I look forward to learning more about the way race impacts our criminal justice system.

 I am very grateful for this experience, and even given the circumstances, I know that I belong in the space that I’m in. 

Thank you for reading.

-S.K

Introduction: Santana Kavanaugh

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Santana Kavanaugh (NYU Gallatin) |National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers| NYC, United States

My name is Santana Kavanaugh and I’m from Lexington, Ky. I am a rising junior at the Gallatin School of Individualized Study. My concentration is Critical Race Theory, Human Rights & Minority Studies. I also plan to pursue an MPA in Nonprofit Management via Wagner. Since my sophomore year of high school, I’ve been involved in democratic political campaigns in Kentucky and New York. I also have experience as a community outreach coordinator and non-profit organizer. I currently work with the Simon Wiesenthal Center as an anti-hate instructor for NYC youth but my ultimate goal is to become a human rights lawyer. I am also currently in pursuit to start a nonprofit that aids low-income families of color with access to nutritional foods. 

This summer, I will be interning at the National Association of Defense Lawyers in Washington, D.C. from June 20th to August 30th. I’ll be working closely with their Racial Disparity Policy team to uncover the structural racism and oppression that hinders African Americans, and to develop a proposal for international human rights action and reparations for African American Descendants of Enslaved People. Since the birth of America, African Americans have been denied the opportunity to live the American dream by a system of exploitation, discrimination, exclusion, and targeted efforts to inflict harm. With this project, I’d like to attempt to create a standard for critical approaches to dismantling oppression against African Americans via policy reform and restorative justice. When I first applied to the Gallatin Global Human Rights Fellowship, I knew that I wanted to focus on the oppression of African Americans but my main focus was mass incarceration and the prison industrial complex. After taking the Human Rights Fellowship course with Professor Vasuki Nesiah, my project has since expanded to consider other systems of inequality such as healthcare and wealth disparities. 

 I believe that the antecedent phase of this project has already enhanced my career development. This opportunity made me realize my desire to be a reparations lawyer. I always knew that I wanted to go to law school and help African Americans but upon starting this project, I discovered the field of restorative justice attorneys. I feel strongly that this summer will be significant to my academic and professional growth and I am very grateful for this opportunity. 

Thank you for reading!

– S.K