“Speak up for those who have no voice, for the justice of all who are dispossessed. 9 Speak up, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the oppressed and needy.”
Proverbs 31:8-9 (HCSB)
“I believe there is a lot of change that needs to happen,” senior political science pre-law major Bella Hadley stated. She hopes to attend law school and ultimately work to dismantle discriminatory procedures in America. She is the face of justice.
Rectifying injustices has always been an important part of Hadley’s life, even at a young age. “Everything had to be fair,” she remembered, “[When it came to her siblings] justice had to be served no matter what.” During middle school, her passion for justice evolved into activism as she was exposed to diverse communities.
“My eyes had to be opened,” Hadley said. She remembers finding joy in immersing herself within communities she was not familiar with, listening and becoming sympathetic towards diversity and issues involving it. Through this, she discovered value in not only learning, but genuinely reflecting on her own privilege. Hadley also contemplated how she could have inadvertently enabled systems of oppression in her past. “It’s definitely been a process,” she admitted, “I’m still learning about my own internal biases.”
Doing so ultimately sparked Hadley’s passion for not only educating herself through obtaining a minor in African American and African studies but improving our nation’s justice system by pursuing a degree in law. She feels real justice involves doing whatever is in you power to right a wrong. According to Hadley, this inherently means reforming practices that systematically discriminate against minority communities in America.
“The end goal for my career is working to end racial injustice in the justice and prison system,” she said. This will involve defending clients who have non-violent drug offenses, those on death row and working for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). She hopes to also establish a law firm to provide a platform for Black and Latina lawyers.
Hadley feels everyone has a duty to society to use their privilege and advocate justice for underrepresented communities. She wants people to know that when it comes to confronting social issues, “You don’t necessarily have to be the one to initiate or perpetrate a wrong [discriminatory action] to fix it.”
The road to achieving justice for others involves fostering a progressive dialogue related to injustice as well as utilizing social media and other platforms to bring awareness to issues and educate yourself. Hadley also notes becoming comfortable with having tough conversations with friends and relatives and simply listening to individuals from underrepresented communities are steps in the right direction.
“It has to start with yourself,” Hadley concluded.
She is the face of JUSTICE.
