NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A new partnership between Fisk University and the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law is creating opportunities for Fisk students to contribute directly to research, policy and advocacy addressing civic challenges across the South.
Launched earlier this year through Fisk University’s John Lewis Center for Social Justice, the Partnership for Southern Impact brings together Fisk’s longstanding relationships and expertise in the South with the Brennan Center’s nationally recognized, nonpartisan work in democracy and justice. Based at Fisk’s Nashville campus, the initiative serves as a hub for research, collaboration and nonpartisan solutions aimed at making state and local governments more representative and responsive.
This summer, that work extended from Nashville to Washington, D.C., where six Fisk students worked alongside Brennan Center professionals on projects examining civic engagement, public policy and democracy.
The participating students were:
- Jaiden Maltbia, a junior Political Science major
- Kendah McDonald, a junior Sociology & Psychology joint major with a minor in Women & Gender Studies
- Caleyha McKenzie, a senior Political Science & English joint major
- Riyan Jones, a senior Sociology & Political Science joint major
- Brynn Patterson, a senior History & English joint major with a minor in Philosophy and Religious Studies
- Jordan McClain, a senior Political Science major with a minor in Sociology
Their work offered an early example of how the Partnership is connecting Fisk students, researchers and community leaders with ongoing efforts to strengthen civic participation and public institutions across the South.
One initiative, the Young Adults Civil Rights Engagement project, tasked students with surveying young adults at Fisk and across the country to better understand why younger generations have become disengaged from civil rights organizations.
“I was really excited to do work that I have been passionate about for so long,” said Riyan Jones, a senior Sociology & Political Science joint major. “We were able to survey students at Fisk and across the country to develop work to understand why students aren’t engaging with civil rights organizations. Based on the research, the disengagement was due to a lack of time or opportunity. We were able to give those findings to the Brennan Center to help guide these organizations on how they can engage people around our age range.”
The students’ work also provided opportunities to engage with broader questions of advocacy, policy and justice. Caleyha McKenzie, a senior Political Science & English joint major, contributed to advocacy surrounding the Louisiana v. Callais case while also gaining valuable professional development experience through the fellowship.
For Jaiden Maltbia, a junior Political Science major, the fellowship offered an opportunity to see herself represented in the professional spaces she hopes to enter.
“We were surrounded by so many educated Black women from various backgrounds and all walks of life,” Maltbia said. “It was really important to not only see Black women in those types of spaces, but also actually get to know them.”
The experience also reinforced for students the value of bringing their own perspectives and academic backgrounds into the work. Kendah McDonald, a junior Sociology & Psychology joint major with a minor in Women & Gender Studies, said her intersectional perspective helped her contribute to the Partnership’s work.
“I am really grateful I was able to bring my knowledge and help intertwine it with the Brennan Center,” McDonald said. She added that it was impactful to see people across the state and country actively working on and passionate about the same issues she cares about, which strengthened her desire to continue learning and contributing to the work.
For Jordan McClain, a senior Political Science major with a minor in Sociology, the fellowship provided valuable exposure to advocates and professionals working in the pro-democracy and policy spaces.
“The Partnership for Southern Impact summer fellowship at the Brennan Center for Justice has, without question, been the most enriching experience of my collegiate career,” McClain said. “The opportunity to engage with advocates and professionals in the pro-democracy and policy ecosystems was rewarding and encouraged me to refine my future career goals.”
Students also met with lawmakers and policymakers while in Washington, gaining firsthand exposure to the people and institutions involved in shaping public policy.
For Fisk, those experiences reflect a larger goal of the Partnership: pairing the University’s academic and social justice tradition with applied opportunities for students and deeper engagement with communities throughout the South.
“Fisk University is proud to partner with the Brennan Center for Justice to advance policy research in the American South. During this time when our society is rapidly shifting, there is deep alignment between the Brennan Center’s experience in upholding justice and Fisk’s organized approach to elevating ideals that move our country forward and bring people together,” said Dr. Sekou Franklin, executive director of Fisk’s John Lewis Center. “We look forward to building upon Fisk’s deep legacy of social justice advocacy to create a better, more just future for all.”
The students’ summer work represents one component of the Partnership’s broader effort to connect research, advocacy, communications and community engagement across the South.
For Brynn Patterson, a senior History & English joint major with a minor in Philosophy and Religious Studies, the fellowship offered a broader understanding of the ongoing work required to strengthen democracy and an opportunity she plans to continue during the 2026-2027 academic year.
“I am truly grateful for my experience this summer at the Brennan Center for Justice that allowed me to contribute to the broader work of the Partnership for Southern Impact,” Patterson said. “It was my second internship in Washington, D.C., but this fellowship was transformative in multiple ways. I learned that democracy is a work-in-progress and that I can make an impact through a multitude of ways. I look forward to continuing my work with the Partnership for Southern Impact Fellowship in the 2026-2027 academic year.”
About the John Lewis Center for Social Justice at Fisk University
The John Lewis Center for Social Justice at Fisk University aims to foster and advance a social justice agenda into every sphere of contemporary society. It does so through rigorous research, applied scholarship, artistic and cultural production, and community engagement at a local and global level. As an intellectual hub on campus, the Center is committed to putting interdisciplinary ideas and theories into direct action on the ground. For more information, visit Fisk.edu.
About the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law
The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law is an independent, nonpartisan law and policy organization that works to reform, revitalize and defend the country’s systems of democracy and justice. For more information, visit BrennanCenter.org.
