Nicole Austin-Hillery (DC 1989)

Executive Director of the US Program, Human Rights Watch

My Journey to Justice

Thursday, September 30, 2021

I decided to become a civil and human rights lawyer, not as a career path, but because it was a calling. The journey that led me to my life’s work—focused on issues ranging from race discrimination to voting rights and human rights—was shaped by everything from my upbringing in public housing to my walk through the halls of Carnegie Mellon and the foundation and opportunities both provided. This journey manifested itself in a life focused on protecting and expanding rights for those whose voices are often silenced. I want to share the story of my journey and the significant role that Carnegie Mellon played in providing me with not just a place to learn, but a space to discover, challenge and even rebel. What did Carnegie Mellon give me and what did I give it that impacted my journey on a road leading to a privileged position as a civil and human rights leader? More importantly, how does my story speak to the role that individuals and institutions can play in addressing and confronting real questions of race and justice and how we can collectively impact what real justice looks like?