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Friends, family, and supporters are coming together to carry on the mission of the Harvard-trained civil rights attorney and incoming professor who was among the 67 on board the American Airlines plane that crashed over DC.
"She was a radiant light, a brilliant mind, and a fierce advocate for justice," Aisha Duggin wrote in a GoFundMe campaign set up after her death.
"A Harvard-trained civil rights attorney, abolitionist, and global traveler, Kiah dedicated her life to fighting for freedom, equity, and the liberation of marginalized communities."
Duggins, a former beauty queen who was a finalist at the Miss Kansas Pageant, was preparing to become a law professor at Howard University in DC in the fall, according to her former pageant director.
With the Civil Rights Corps, Duggins was an attorney who "litigated on behalf of movements challenging unconstitutional policing and money bail practices in Tennessee, Texas, and Washington, DC," according to her bio.
"Kiah was more than a scholar and activist—she was a beloved sister-friend, a source of inspiration, and a beacon of grace and integrity," Aisha Duggin added.
"She made you want to be smarter, kinder, and bolder. Her presence challenged everyone around her to step into their most fearless, compassionate selves."
Duggins served as the president of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, earned her bachelors’ degrees from Wichita State University, and completed a Fulbright grant in Taiwan after studying in Kansas.
The GoFundMe set up on behalf of Duggins has raised thousands of dollars in the days following her death, with the money earmarked to "honor Kiah’s legacy in a way that reflects her lifelong dedication to justice and community."
According to organizers, contributions will support:
Environmental justice: "Continuing Kiah’s fight against environmental racism and supporting communities affected by toxic pollution;"
- Legal and civil rights advocacy: "Uplifting organizations committed to abolitionist movements and racial justice;"
- Education and empowerment: "Providing resources for Black scholars, activists, and community leaders following in Kiah’s footsteps."
The GoFundMe can be found here.
“Kiah believed in radical love, unwavering truth, and the fight for a better world,” the fundraiser reads. “Let’s carry her torch forward.”
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