February 17, 2023 | Hello everyone! I hope that you are well <3 My name is Denia Smith (she/her), and I’m so excited to take you along with me as I go through the Cornerstone Program! I’m originally from Belle Mead, New Jersey. At American, I am majoring in Political Science with a minor in African American Studies and a certificate in Advanced Leadership Studies. This semester, I am interning for Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) in the U.S. House of Representatives (HOR). I’m really excited to work for the Congresswoman– partially because she is my representative– but also because she’s the first Black woman to represent New Jersey in the HOR!! Working with the Congresswoman has allowed me to explore law, politics, and African American studies through a niched lens, and I’m grateful that I can do so through the Cornerstone Program.

My first day at work was on January 23rd, so I’m currently in my fourth week in the HOR. I work Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm and Thursdays from 9:00 am - 1:00 pm. The commute from campus to the Capitol ranges from 40-55 minutes long, so I usually leave campus around 7:30 am to arrive in the office early at 8:30 am. This means that I have to wake up around 6:30 am, so getting ample sleep the night before is imperative.

Walking into the office building always feels surreal. I took a photo by the Congresswoman’s office last week (see below), which was exciting! When I first walk into the office, my first task is to organize the newspapers delivered and provide a copy on the desks of the Congresswoman and the legislative staffers. Afterward, I begin work on press clips, which are concise summaries of news pertaining to the Congresswoman, local/state events, national/ international events, and information relating to the committees the Congresswoman serves on. Thereafter, my tasks vary depending on the day. As a Policy Intern, I often conduct research for varied projects led by legislative staffers, drafting letters responding to constituent concerns, attending congressional briefings, and writing memorandums on pressing issues for the Congresswoman. I also answer phone calls from constituents and record their opinions and concerns.

Beyond my internship, my Spring semester experience has been fun! I was slightly concerned about balancing my internship, Cornerstone events, and my classes, but I found it to be manageable. I have classes on Tuesdays and Fridays from 8:00 am - 12:00 pm, followed by one class at 4:00 pm. Beyond my AUxI class, I am taking three classes related to my major/minor, a math course and UGST-120 (Mentored Field Practicum for Cornerstone). I found that I’m able to blend the content learned in my political science and African American studies classes with the research conducted in my internship, which is extremely valuable. I am also thrilled to start a colloquium in American Studies course on bell hooks and Cultural Production (woo)! The course will allow me to learn more about race, gender, and politics through bell hooks’ writings, which is incredibly exciting and interesting!

I’m also able to connect my interest in Black studies and feminism beyond the classroom through different organizations on campus. On campus, I am a first-year fellow for the Black Student Union and Students for Change (formerly the Women’s Initiative). This month, Students for Change hosted two events in honor of Black History Month, including a panel with Princess Sarah Culberson of Sierra Leone and Angelica Ross from Pose. It was really cool to learn how both speakers use their passions and skills to advocate for equity and justice, and it’s a blessing to be in community with like-minded students passionate about intersectional feminism. Additionally, the Black Student Union hosted an event on Black Love in honor of Valentine’s Day, which was a lot of fun!

Beyond classes and extracurriculars, my friends and I have used the weekends to explore D.C. and the surrounding area. Last weekend, we went to The Black Hair Experience, an interactive selfie museum with pop-up art exhibits, all in the name of celebrating Black hair. It was a lot of fun to take pictures with friends while decompressing from the week. I also recently participated in A.U.’s Dinner with Alumni program and had the opportunity to get brunch with a graduate from the Class of 2022 at Busboys and Poets (an incredible restaurant that you 100% should check out). I’ve been a couple of times and always get Shrimp and Grits or the Oaxaca Omelet.

Looking into next week, I will be working two days instead of three (I have off for Presidents Day on Monday) and will begin my first series of essays and quizzes for my classes. Next week is also Founders Week! I am really excited about this upcoming week, and I look forward to sharing more of it with you all! Have a great day, and I’ll see you soon <3

March 10, 2023 | Happy Women’s History Month yall! I hope that you are doing well :)

A lot has happened within the last two weeks. My tasks at my internship have been relatively the same, and I have grown more accustomed to the office and begun networking with members of staff. I recently went for a coffee chat with one of the legislative staffers, and it has been exciting to learn more about their work and how they came to work on Capitol Hill. I’ve also been able to work on tasks relating to issues/causes that I’m passionate about, primarily racial justice within the carceral state. This week, I observed a meeting with the National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA) pertaining to criminal justice reform and educational equity. It was incredibly inspiring to learn about the work my Congresswoman has done relating to these issues and be in a room with individuals who look like me passionate about public service. After the meeting, I connected with a member of NBLSA on LinkedIn, and I hope to be in touch and learn more about the organization.

As a student, the past few weeks have been quite busy as I prepare for midterms. I technically don’t have any real midterms– such as exams– but I do have a couple of essays that I need to complete. Between my internship and classes, I’ve found time to attend student-run events, such as the Black History Month celebration hosted by the Black Student Union (BSU). I also participated in a White House tour led by the BSU, which was soo much fun. We all traveled together to the White House, but when we got there, we had to wait in line for an hour before being allowed to go in. We all waited outside, and even though it was freezing cold and snowing, we made the most out of it. A group of students started to play heads-up in the line, and we all eventually joined it. It was a fun bonding experience, and it made the trip memorable. Before we went in, we took this photo in front of the White House:

Overall, the trip was incredible, and BSU events will always be on my Top 10 list of favorite AU memories.

Outside of AU-affiliated events, I had the opportunity to meet with students at Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard’s Anti-Racism Policy Journal, and Dreisen Heath from the Why We Can’t-Wait reparations coalition to discuss youth advocacy in the reparations movement. I learned about this meeting through my role as a Research Analyst at The Amendment Project, an organization I’ve worked at for the past two years focused on advocating for reparations for Black and Brown Americans. It was surreal to converse with leading scholars and activists on such an important topic and to reflect upon the importance of youth advocacy for reparations and similar intersectional aspects of racial justice. The meeting was held at the DC office of Human Rights Watch, and I was able to take this photo of me in the office:

It is a blessing not only to have such opportunities to learn from people in the movement but to know that youth voices are heard and embraced in organizing movements.

I also had the opportunity to speak on a panel pertaining to racial disparities in menstrual health with PERIOD., a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending period poverty and stigma. My co-panelist was Asia Brown, a member of PERIOD.’s Board of Directors, Youth Advisory Council and the founder of an incredible grassroots organization called 601 For Period Equity. I loved learning more about Asia’s advocacy, and I am grateful for the opportunity to discuss the importance of ensuring that all advocacy– especially relating to gender equity– must be pursued jointly with racial equity. The panel can be viewed here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CpN15Krgi3_/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

That’s all on my end! I’m looking forward to Spring Break (woo!) and having the opportunity to relax and decompress. Thank you for reading, and I’ll see you again soon!

April 12, 2023 | Hello all! I hope you are doing well :) I’m currently in the home stretch of the semester (only three more weeks)! I’m preparing for finals while wrapping up my last few weeks on the Hill. It’s crazy to believe the semester is almost over; freshman year flew by incredibly fast.

My internship has been going well, and my tasks have remained relatively the same. Over the past three weeks, I’ve grabbed coffee with staff members and enjoyed learning more about their journey toward working on the Hill. Since D.C. has become warmer– and we are slowly approaching summer– congressional offices have received a plethora of tour requests. Today, I completed tour training to assist the office in providing tours to our constituents. Afterward, I had the opportunity to see the floor of the House of Representatives with another intern and a senior staffer. Unfortunately, I couldn’t bring my phone inside and couldn’t get pictures, but viewing the chamber felt surreal. On our way back to the office, we stopped by the Rotunda and the Speaker’s Balcony. The balcony had a breathtaking view of the Washington Monument and the city (it also served as a good site for photos)!

Beyond my internship, life as a student has been busy with class and organizational responsibilities. On the bright side, the weather has become much warmer, and the campus is slowly coming to life. Whenever I have time, I love to walk around and embrace the warmth and the beauty of the earth. I always love observing the vegetation and floral life on campus. My favorite place– which arguably has the best vegetation/floral life– would be the amphitheater. I don’t have a recent picture of it, but it looks beautiful during the spring and early fall. My close second to the amphitheater would be on the side of the School of International Service (SIS) and next to Roper Hall.

Between class and my internship, I’ve helped with events for the Black Student Union (BSU) and Students for Change (SFC). I recently co-moderated a General Body Meeting (GBM) for BSU on protecting Black women and female-identifying individuals on AU’s campus and beyond. We were able to have a fun and immersive conversation, and everyone felt comfortable to share in the group. Our GBM’s are one of my favorite events; I love having the opportunity to discuss important issues pertaining to our community with other students. I also had the opportunity to meet Mikki Kendall last week at an event for SFC on her novel Hood Feminism. She shared more information regarding her journey to write Hood Feminism, the challenges she overcame as a Black woman in authorship, and advice for the next generation of feminists. The event was incredibly inspiring, and I’m forever grateful for the opportunities that SFC and similar campus organizations provide students.

Outside of AU-affiliated events and activities, life has been busy. I recently flew out to Boston, Massachusetts, to speak at the Black Policy Conference, an annual conference hosted by students at Harvard Kennedy School. At the event, I conversed with Black high school students in Boston on the importance of youth advocacy and activism. I also had the opportunity to network with Black graduate students at Harvard while learning more about pressing public policy decisions impacting Black Americans, including reparations, combatting mass incarceration, urban inequity, and diverse representation among public officials. Overall, I loved my experience at the conference, and Boston is a beautiful city! I hope to return soon.

This semester has been incredibly fun, but I’m looking forward to summer. The next couple of weeks will be busy with finals and upcoming student events– like Amfest and the Spring Gala– but it will be worth it. Until next time, I’ll see y'all soon :)