Professor Kiah Duggins: Recognizing the Heroes from the Washington D.C. Plane Crash

On January 31st at around 9 PM, American Eagle Flight 5432 collided with a UH-60 Black Hawk Helicopter while arriving at Ronald Reagan National Airport. The plane contained 60 passengers and 4 crews, while the helicopter contained 3 military members, all of whom, unfortunately, passed away. With 55 of the victims currently identified, I want to recognize all of the heroes from this tragedy, each of whom had personal backstories and lives that they could not continue. I hope my readers will understand how this event exemplifies the unexpected nature of life, provide our deepest condolences to all of the members involved in this incident, and embrace gratitude as we go on with our lives.

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Here is a tribute to Kiah Duggins, a daughter, student, and professor missed by many in her community.

Kiah Duggins was on her way home to Washington D.C. after being in Wichita, Kansas, her hometown, to support her mother undergoing surgery. Yet, her future, including being a Howard University law professor in the coming fall semester, drastically changed overnight.

After graduating from Wichita East High School, Kiah entered Wichita State University, where she taught students in Taiwan English after receiving a grant from a government-funded organization called Fullbright. She participated in Full Bright's 2017 Advocacy Petition Campaign, an exchange program for sharing education worldwide, and having both beauty and brains, Kiah was also crowned Miss Butler Country in 2014 and 2015.

Fast-forward a few years, she graduated from Harvard Law School in 2021 with a Clinical and Pro Bono Outstanding Student Award. Kiah, whether it be through being the president of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau to receiving the 2021 Cravath International Fellow Award, always strived to make a positive impact on the community around her. Following graduation, she worked at the firm Neufeld,  Scheck & Brustin and worked as an attorney at the Civil Rights Corps, constantly fighting against police misconduct and calling for reforms in the prison system across Texas and Washington D.C.

Yet, even as Kiah transitioned to different phases of her career, she never forgot the path that led her there, leading workshops for Harvard Law School and encouraging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address Wichita's groundwater contamination problem.

Considering the significant role that Kiah played in her community, many expressed sorrow and grief at her passing. Kiah's minister at her church in Wichita emphasized how she brightened everyone's day and loved God with all her heart. Kiah's father, Maurice Duggins, expressed, "We are coming to terms with the grief associated with the loss of our beautiful and accomplished firstborn.” Even her classmates from Harvard Law School stated, "She was the best of us".

Kiah Duggins was a hero, and she will truly be missed by the world.

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As consumers and readers of the news, I think it is important for us to acknowledge that these victims could easily have been our loved ones, significant others, or relatives. Taking that into account, I encourage you to be there for anyone who is suffering from the loss of their loved ones due to tragic accidents and continue to live with gratitude today.

Cover page via Harvard Law Today

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 Originally published at themedtales.com