An Oral History Project Conducted by John Robert Lewis Fellow Arielle Hudson
Project Description
When we think of mentors and people who have a legacy of involvement in racial justice work, we often first think of changemakers who only fall into the categories of Millennials or Gen X. Rarely do our first thoughts think of changemakers in Gen Z. There is a long historical record of the movements and change made and pursued by those in the former categories and even further back to Boomers and the Post War generations. However, the historical record and archives of the work done by current practitioners and changemakers in Generation Z are scarce.
The three interviewees interviewed for this project were chosen because they are changemakers and current practitioners in Generation Z, who have a history of commitment to advancing racial justice on behalf of Black people and Black communities. All three have recently been selected as Marshall Motley Scholars—a groundbreaking effort by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund to endow the South with its next generation of civil rights lawyers, trained to provide legal advocacy of unparalleled excellence in the pursuit of racial justice.
In exchange for a full law school scholarship and professional development, scholars commit to devoting the first eight years of their career to practicing civil rights law in service of Black communities in the South. The program is named in honor of Supreme Court Justice, legendary civil rights attorney and LDF founder Thurgood Marshall, and iconic civil rights litigator, former LDF attorney, and the first Black woman to serve as a federal judge, Constance Baker Motley. The three interviewees are Sophia Howard, Nastassia Janvier, and Carlos Pollard Jr.
Oral History Interviews and Background
Sophia Howard - 06/28/2022
Sophia Howard was born in Lexington, Kentucky, and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and comparative women’s studies, with a concentration in women and resistance movements in May 2021 from Spelman College. Her dedication to fighting for civil rights comes from her desire to want to give back and fight for those who always encouraged her to have something to say as a Southern Black woman. During her time at Spelman, Sophia worked with several Southern racial justice efforts, political and judicial campaigns, and initiatives, including the Stacey Abrams gubernatorial campaign, Equal Justice Initiative, ACLU of Georgia, The Law Firm of Lawanda Hodges, RestoreHER and many more. Sophia is also the founder of the Unlocked Minds Book Club, a student-led prison education program at Whitworth Women’s Prison in Hartwell, Georgia. This past August, she helped found Village Kulture, a non-profit organization that provides mentoring services to young Black boys.
Nastassia Janvier - 06/29/2022
Nastassia Janvier, a Miami, Florida native, graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelor of Science in interdisciplinary social science in sociology and public administration and recently received her Master of Science in Public Administration in May of 2022. Nastassia’s commitment to civil rights law stems from her childhood experiences where she witnessed the impact that law, education, and government can have in achieving racial equity in the South. Nastassia served as the president of the NAACP Tallahassee Chapter where she presided and chaired all meetings of the college chapter and oversaw the 15 executive committees. She currently serves as the student body president of Florida State University, as well as chairwoman of the Florida Student Association. She works as a graduate assistant in the College of Social Science and Public Policy where she coordinates and formulates sponsorship opportunities with Florida State alumni. Additionally, Nastassia is a member of the Florida State University Board of Trustees and is a governor on the Board of Governors for the State University System of Florida which oversees the operation and management of the Florida Public University System’s 12 institutions.
Carlos Pollard Jr. - 06/30/2022
Carlos Pollard, Jr. is from LaPlace, Louisiana, and graduated from Dillard University with a Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice. Carlos’s commitment to advocating for his community comes from his experience as a man of color from Louisiana. During his time at Dillard University, Carlos worked with the Mayor of New Orleans, Non-Profit Action New Orleans, and other campaigns in the city to work on combating social injustices in the South. Currently, Carlos works with multiple non-profit organizations such as Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, Together Louisiana’s Vaccine Equity Project, and Center for Racial Justice and Public Allies where he is part of the 2021-2022 cohort completing a fellowship at Southeast Louisiana Legal Services in the mortgage assistance program.
Presentation Recording