Rukayatu Tijani

Rukayatu, or “Ruky” Tijani, is a civil rights and constitutional law activist. After graduating with a degree in Africana Studies and Political Science from the University at Albany, Ruky worked to use her platform as a means to represent the voices of the underserved.

After college, Ruky attended the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. During her time there, Ruky worked in the death penalty clinic as an advocate for incarcerated individuals on death row in the South. Currently, Ruky serves as a board member and works with Black Women’s Blueprint, an organization committed to amplifying the voices of women of African descent in all their diversity.

In 2015, Ruky will clerk in the Eastern District of California for a federal judge. After her clerkship, Ruky will continue work in the fields of Civil Rights and Constitutional Litigation.

You can follow Ruky on Instagram @RukyOfTheYear