Derrick Parker Jr. just graduated from Harvard Law School, and according to his Facebook page, he’s his “ancestors’ wildest dreams.” We can’t help but be inclined to agree. From a young age, Parker always seemed destined for success. Originally from Kansas City, MO, Parker came up in humble circumstances. His father was a barber, and his mother was a factory worker. Despite these circumstances, they saved enough money to send him to Lincoln College Preparatory Academy. While there, Parker was 1st Chair Trombone in both the jazz band and wind ensemble. But that’s not all the Harvard Law School graduate achieved. He was also elected Senior Class President, Homecoming King, Prom King, and was also 1st Team All-Conference starting quarterback on the football team. Instagram /Derrick Parker Jr. In 2018, he graduated from Morehouse College as the valedictorian before heading off to Harvard Law School. While at Morehouse, he graduated as the highest-ranking scholar in his class, a junior...

Lila Fenwick, the first Black female graduate of Harvard Law School, died on Saturday, April 4. She was in her home in Manhattan and was a victim of the novel coronavirus. According to the New York Times , the daughter of Trinidadian immigrants , born on May 24, 1932, was a trailblazer for the majority of her life. In 1956, she was one of only a few women to graduate from Harvard Law School. While enrolled, the New York native endured extreme racism and sexism. “I knew I was going to be a lawyer when I was a little girl,” Fenwick told the Harvard Law Bulletin in 2000. “It never occurred to me that there were going to be any obstacles.” After law school, she attended the London School of Economics and went on to have a life-long career at the United Nations. She went on to become an official in the Division of Human Rights, specializing in gender, racial and discrimination studies. In addition, she established the Foundation for Research and Education in Sickle Cell Disease with Dr....