Kiah Duggins, a 30-year-old civil rights attorney and rising Howard University Law professor, was tragically killed in the mid-air collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines plane near Reagan National Airport. Duggins was remembered for her bright smile, zest for life, and dedication to fighting for justice.
A Howard University professor and former Miss Kansas contestant, known for her radiant smile and unwavering passion for life, was tragically among the victims of the mid-air collision involving an Army helicopter and an American Airlines plane near Reagan National Airport on Wednesday.
Kiah Duggins, 30, was identified as a victim by Howard University President Ben Vinson III, who issued a heartfelt plea for privacy and respect for her family, students, and colleagues during this incredibly difficult time. The university shared in a statement that Duggins was poised to embark on a new chapter as a professor at Howard University School of Law this fall. Duggins dedicated her career to championing civil rights, working tirelessly against unconstitutional policing and unfair money bail practices in Tennessee, Texas, and Washington, D.C. As a civil rights attorney with the non-profit Civil Rights Corps, based in Washington D.C., she collaborated with the ACLU of Northern California and Neufeld, Scheck and Brustin LLP to challenge police misconduct and other injustices within the criminal legal system. Prior to joining the Civil Rights Corps, she pursued her studies on the prison industrial complex abolition and lawyering movement as a Law For Black Lives fellow, a prominent Black liberation group. Her legal expertise was honed at Harvard Law School, where she served as president of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau. Before embarking on her legal journey, she earned her bachelor's degree from Wichita State University and completed a Fulbright grant in Taiwan, according to the Civil Rights Corps. Those who knew Duggins spoke of her infectious enthusiasm and unwavering spirit. Larry Strong, her local pageant director during her Miss Kansas and Miss Butler County competitions, told KBTX that Duggins possessed 'such a bright future ahead.' He fondly remembered her as 'Miss Butler County 2014, 2015,' highlighting her achievement as a top 10 finalist in both 2014 and 2015 at the Miss Kansas Pageant. Annie Montgomery, minister of Tabernacle Bible Church in Wichita, shared with KMUW that she would forever cherish Duggins' radiant smile and zest for life. 'Kiah was the most beautiful young lady inside and out,' Montgomery said. 'She was adventurous. She made friends so easily. She had the kind of personality that you just could not resist.' Lacey Cruse, a former Sedgwick County commissioner, described Duggins as 'a brave and beautiful soul, a light in the fight for civil rights.' 'Her loss is heartbreaking, not only for her family and friends but for everyone who believes in justice and equality,' she wrote on Facebook. 'May her work, her message, and her spirit continue to inspire and create change. Gone too soon but never forgotten.' Duggins was among the 67 lives lost in this devastating tragedy. The cause of the collision is currently under investigation
NEWS CIVIL RIGHTS HOWARD UNIVERSITY PLANE CRASH REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT MISS KANSAS
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