In Memoriam: Kiah Duggins

Kiah Duggins, an incoming law professor at Howard University, was one of the 67 victims who died in the devastating plane crash near Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. on January 29. She was 30 years old.

Duggins was a civil rights attorney, most recently practicing with the Civil Rights Corps, a nonprofit in Washington, D.C., that is dedicated to challenging systemic injustice. She was set to join the Howard University faculty in fall 2025 as an associate professor of law.

As a student at Harvard Law School, she served as president of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau and helped protect families from unlawful evictions. She was also a member of Harvard Defenders and the Harvard Black Law Students Association. Earlier, she was a policy intern for first lady Michelle Obama.

“As a student and lawyer, Kiah was known for her boundless enthusiasm for advancing justice for the most vulnerable, and for building community,” said interim dean of Harvard Law School John Goldberg.

Howard University President Ben Vinson III told Fox 5 Washington D.C., “It is with profound sadness that the Howard University community and the Howard University School of Law have learned of the passing of Professor Kiah Duggins, who was among those lost in the midair plane collision at Reagan National Airport. We ask for privacy and respect for Professor Duggins’ family, students, and colleagues during this difficult time.”

Prior to earning her juris doctorate from Harvard Law School, Duggins received her bachelor’s degree from Wichita State University in Kansas.