Deborah A. Batts Scholars
2022 Batts Fellow Ferrell Littlejohn '24
Ferrell is one of our 2022 Batts Research Fellows. She is a native Texan, born and raised in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. In 2014, she received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oklahoma in International Business and Marketing. Shortly thereafter, she commissioned as an Officer in the United States Marine Corps, where she served as a comptroller for five years.
Ferrell regards her time in the Marine Corps as one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of her life. This career cultivated her passion for leadership and service. Even more, it forced her to address the intersection of her black, female, and queer identities, shaping who she is as a person and her motivations for attending law school. She says, regardless of where her legal career takes her, she will always be dedicated to generating more opportunity and chances to be heard for these and other underrepresented communities. As a Deborah A. Batts Scholar, she hopes to research issues related to community and economic development and criminal law reform
2022 Batts Fellow Afrika Owes '24
Afrika Owes is one of our 2022 Batts Research Fellows. She is a community advocate who speaks truth to power. Her advocacy is motivated by her love for the Harlem community, respect for her ancestors and their bloodshed for freedom, and her personal experiences with systemic racism. Prior to joining the Fordham Law School community, Afrika worked at The Center for Constitutional Rights where she spent three years assisting with case management and facilitating community outreach programs. Afrika graduated cum laude from Hobart & William Smith Colleges and was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship stationed in Cape Town, South Africa. Afrika continues to volunteer in her community as a member of Manhattan's Community Board 10 and as a member of various advisory committees in Harlem. Afrika’s research interests include those that intersect race, technology, and law, in addition to economic justice initiatives for formerly incarcerated Black women.