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Meet Nigeria’s First Black Female President Of Harvard Law Review

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It took 27 years after Barack Obama became the first Black president of the Harvard Law Review for another milestone to be reached, this time, with a Black woman at the helm.

In 2017, ImeIme Umana made history as the first Black female president of the prestigious 130-year-old journal, a role regarded as one of the highest student positions at Harvard Law School.

Born to Nigerian parents in Pennsylvania, USA, Umana grew up as the third of four daughters in a family that valued education and resilience. Her late father worked as a statistician, and her upbringing instilled in her a strong sense of purpose.

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Graduating from Harvard College in 2014 with a degree in Government and African-American Studies, she pursued her passion for law at Harvard Law School. But her journey to the top of the Law Review was no small feat, it required immense dedication, intellectual rigour, and a commitment to justice.

READ ALSO: Meet 36-Year-old Okolo, First Black Woman To Earn PhD In Aerospace Engineering

Making history in a male-dominated space

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The Harvard Law Review is one of the most influential legal journals in the world, often shaping discussions on critical legal issues. It has served as a launching pad for many prominent figures in the legal field, including Supreme Court justices. However, for over a century, it was predominantly led by white men.

Umana’s election as the 131st president was groundbreaking. She was chosen by a vote of the Review’s 92 student editors after a rigorous selection process.

Championing diversity and justice

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Umana’s legal philosophy is deeply rooted in her identity as a Black woman. She has been vocal about the systemic inequalities in the legal system, particularly how it disproportionately affects Black women. Reflecting on cases like those of Sandra Bland and Natasha McKenna, she expressed a strong commitment to fighting for justice.

Unlike many of her peers who opt for high-paying corporate law firms, Umana set her sights on public service. Her internship at the Bronx public defender’s office was a defining moment, reinforcing her desire to advocate for marginalized communities.

READ ALSO: Meet Nigerian Neurotech Who Built Computer That Can Smell Explosives

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A lot of the clients I worked with that summer and since have looked a lot like me,” she said. “They are disproportionately represented on the unfortunate end of the legal system, so it struck a little closer to home.”

After graduating, Umana secured a prestigious clerkship with Judge Robert L. Wilkins of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. She has remained steadfast in her goal to become a public defender, using her legal expertise to champion the rights of underprivileged individuals.

Ruth Okediji, a Harvard Law graduate and professor, praised her for her selflessness. “ImeIme was not just looking out for herself. I always tell my mentees; ‘You are not successful until you have brought the next woman up.’ And ImeIme has done just that.”

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As a trailblazer, Umana’s story is one of perseverance, intellect, and a relentless pursuit of justice. She continues to inspire a new generation of Black women in law, proving that barriers can be broken and that representation matters.

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UK Police Arrest Asylum Seeker Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed

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The UK police on Sunday arrested an Ethiopian asylum seeker and convicted sex offender, whose crimes had sparked anti-immigration protests, after he was accidentally released from prison in an embarrassing blunder by British authorities.

London’s Metropolitan Police said officers arrested Hadush Kebatu in the north of the capital on Sunday morning, nearly 48 hours after he was mistakenly freed around 30 miles (48 kilometres) away.

Kebatu, 38, had served the first month of a one-year sentence for sexually assaulting a teenage girl and a woman, but was reportedly due to be deported when the Prison Service error occurred on Friday.

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His high-profile case earlier this year in Epping, northeast of London, sparked demonstrations in various English towns and cities where asylum seekers were believed to be housed, as well as counter-protests.

READ ALSO:UK Police Hunt Asylum Seeker Mistakenly Freed For Sex Offence

Commander James Conway, who oversaw the manhunt for him, said “information from the public” led officers to the Finsbury Park neighbourhood of London, where he was found.

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He was detained by police but will be returned to the custody of the Prison Service,” he added.

Kebatu is now expected to be deported.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Friday he was “appalled” by the “totally unacceptable” mistake that saw him freed rather than sent to an immigration detention centre.

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The Telegraph newspaper said he was wrongly categorised for release on licence and handed a £76 ($101) discharge grant.

READ ALSO:Alleged Misappropriation: MFM Accuses UK Agency Of Discrimination

Police had appealed Saturday for Kebatu to turn himself in, after reports emerged that he had appeared confused and reluctant to leave the prison in Chelmsford, eastern England.

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A delivery driver described seeing Kebatu return several times in a “very confused” state, only to be turned away by staff and directed to the railway station.

The driver told Sky News he saw Kebatu outside the jail, asking, “Where am I going? What am I doing?”

He was starting to get upset, he was getting stressed,” the driver said.

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READ ALSO:UK Is A Home, Not Hotel, Kemi Badenoch Tells Immigrants, Starmer’s Govt

The father of Kebatu’s anonymous teenage victim told the broadcaster that “the justice system has let us down.”

Police arrested the asylum seeker in July after he repeatedly tried to kiss a 14-year-old girl and touch her legs, and made sexually explicit comments to her.

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He also sexually assaulted an adult woman, placing a hand on her thigh, when she intervened to stop his interactions with the girl.

He was staying at the time at Epping’s Bell Hotel, where scores of other asylum seekers have been accommodated, and which became the target of repeated protests.

AFP

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Madagascar Revokes Ousted President’s Nationality

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Madagascar’s new government has stripped ousted president Andry Rajoelina of his Malagasy nationality in a decree published Friday, 10 days after he was removed in a military takeover.

According to AFP, the decree means that Rajoelina, who was impeached on October 14 after fleeing the island nation in the wake of weeks of protests, would not be able to contest future election.

The decree published in the official gazette said Rajoelina’s Malagasy nationality was revoked because he had acquired French nationality in 2014, local media reported, as photographs of the document were shared online.

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READ ALSO:Madagascar’s President Denounces ‘Coup Attempt’ As Gen Z Protests Escalate

French broadcaster RFI said it had confirmed the decree with the entourage of the new prime minister, Herintsalama Rajaonarivelo, who signed the order.

The decree cited laws stipulating that a Malagasy who voluntarily acquires a foreign nationality loses their Malagasy nationality.

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Rajoelina’s French nationality caused a scandal when it was revealed ahead of the November 2023 elections, nearly 10 years after it was granted.

READ ALSO:Madagascar Passes Bill To Castrate Child R*pists

It triggered calls for him to be disqualified but he went on to win the contested polls, which were boycotted by opposition parties.

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The 51-year-old politician fled Madagascar after army Colonel Michael Randrianirina said on October 11 his CAPSAT unit would refuse orders to put down the youth-led protest movement, which security forces had attempted to suppress with violence.

Rajoelina said later he was in hiding for his safety, but did not say where.

Randrianirina was sworn in as president on October 14, pledging elections within two years.

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Kamala Harris Hints At Running For President Again

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Former US vice president Kamala Harris said in a British television interview previewed in Saturday that she may “possibly” run again to be president.

Harris, who replaced Joe Biden as the 2024 Democratic presidential candidate but lost to Donald Trump, told the BBC that she had not yet decided whether to make another White House bid.

But the 61-year-old insisted she was “not done” in American politics and that her young grandnieces would see a female president in the Oval Office “in their lifetime, for sure”.

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READ ALSO:FULL LIST: Trump, Kamala, Netanyahu, Others Shortlisted For 2024 Time’s Person Of The Year

“I have lived my entire career a life of service, and it’s in my bones, and there are many ways to serve.

“I’ve not decided yet what I will do in the future, beyond what I am doing right now,” Harris told the British broadcaster in an interview set to air in full on Sunday.

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The comments are the strongest hint yet that Harris could attempt to be the Democratic Party nominee for the 2028 election.

READ ALSO:Kamala Harris Secures Democratic Presidential Nomination

The interview follows the release of her memoir last month, in which she argued it had been “recklessness” to let Biden run for a second term as president.

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She also accused his White House team of failing to support her while she was his deputy, and at times of actively hindering her.

AFP

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