2021 Peggy Browning Fellows

2021 Peggy Browning Summer Fellows Kenyatta Barthelemy JD’22 Southern University Law School Baton Rouge, LA Wage Justice Center Los Angeles, CA A first-generation law student at one of only six HBCU law schools in the nation, Kenyatta was exposed to the labor movement through her family’s organized fight for the continued self-employment of African Americans that work the rivers and bayous of Southeast Louisiana. Her desire to advocate for workers’ rights was cemented at an on-campus event where four incarcerated women shared that a 40-hour work week earned them 80 cents. Kenyatta’s career goal is for the mere mention of her name to strike fear in the heart of any proponent of injustice. Her mission to eradicate oppression is best described by the scriptures Proverbs 31:8-9 which pronounce, “Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Sujata Bajracharya JD’23 University of Virginia School of Law Charlottesville, VA National Treasury Employees Union Washington, DC Sujata was raised in a union family in Hastings- on-Hudson, NY. At Barnard College, she majored in Religion and Asian & Middle Eastern cultures, graduating summa cum laude . Sujata then received her MA in Religion from Syracuse University, where her research focused on Hindu festivals and community building for international students on campus. As a graduate student, she was introduced to labor issues via discussions around graduate student unionizing. Before law school, Sujata worked as a program associate at the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding, doing diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting focused on religious diversity, working with corporations, government agencies, and other non-profits. Through that work, Sujata’s interest in labor and legal issues deepened, leading her to apply to law school. Nagiane Arriaza JD’22 City University of New York School of Law Long Island City, NY Gladstein, Reif & Meginniss, LLP New York, NY A graduate of the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Nagiane has experience in community organizing, research, and negotiations with labor unions representing public and private sector employees.  She hopes to combine her law degree with her experience in employee advocacy and employer inclusion consulting, to holistically advocate for workers’ rights. Grace Austin JD’23 The George Washington University Law School Washington, DC Int’l Association of Sheet Metal, Air Rail & Transportation Workers (SMART) Washington, DC Born and raised in the Philadelphia area, Grace attended American University where she graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Justice and Law.  Upon graduation, Grace commissioned in the United States Army and served for four years. Watching friends and familymembers struggle in an increasingly anti-worker economy drove Grace to pursue studies in workers’ rights.  Today, she is a member of her school’s Criminal Law Brief and participates in the Social Security Pro Bono Project.  Grace is the granddaughter of a proud union member, and her grandfather’s life-long union work shaped Grace’s love of unions and their history. Grace is passionate about adapting historical successes in collective organizing to navigate labor challenges of today.