Keegan Hudson, a third-year student at the University of Virginia School of Law, is this year’s recipient of the Gregory H. Swanson Award, named in honor of UVA and the Law School’s first Black student.
The award, which Dean Risa Goluboff presented to Hudson on Thursday at an event celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day, recognizes UVA Law students who demonstrate courage, perseverance and a commitment to justice — the character and conduct exemplified by Swanson, an alumnus who was the first Black student to attend any school at the University of Virginia. Though the Law School initially admitted Swanson, UVA’s Board of Visitors issued a rejection. He sued the University in a 1950 federal court case and won.
Hudson’s law school career has been marked by perseverance and a commitment to fostering a sense of belonging for all, said community members who nominated him. His courage, however, was established before he even enrolled at UVA Law.
When rioters attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Hudson — then 22 — was one of two staffers charged with coordinating responses to emergencies for his office, the Office of the Majority Whip of the U.S. House of Representatives.
“Keegan barricaded the doors with furniture and held the furniture in place with his bare hands while shouts and fists rattled the doors from the other side,” Professor Kim Forde-Mazrui wrote in a letter nominating Hudson. “The courage and selfless leadership exhibited by Keegan on January 6 are hallmarks of his character.”
Hudson arrived on the Hill after graduating from college with a degree in agribusiness from Alcorn State University. While growing up in Spring Hill, Tennessee, he had watched his dad — who had a college degree and a real estate license — help his grandfather deal with developers who had been picking off parcels of his grandfather’s farming acres for below-market prices. Hudson’s dad got involved to protect the patriarch’s interests as his grandfather sold his final parcel.
“My dad was the youngest of 10 siblings, but he was the one who could represent our family in that whole ordeal and help my grandparents build a new house to live out their last days,” Hudson said. “As I got older, I associated my dad’s actions with using one’s education to solve problems for others. To me, that is exactly what a lawyer does, and it is what I want to do.”
His experience on Capitol Hill — before, during and after Jan. 6 — shed more light on his career options and the difference between politics, policy and law. It also helped instill a sense of resilience as he and his colleagues returned to work and dealt with the stress left in the wake of the insurrection.
“One of the main things I remember from that night was when Speaker Pelosi made the announcement that we wouldn’t be deterred, and we would continue to ratify the vote,” Hudson said. “The decision to return to work immediately after the insurrection has been foundational to my current approach to adversity. I learned that if I can make it through that, I can pretty much make it through anything.”
At UVA Law, Hudson had initially planned to focus solely on academics, rather than leadership and student involvement. But because of the generous support and mentorship he received from other students — particularly from students in the Black Law Students Association — he felt a strong pull to “give back the same way and try to uplift the experiences of other students at the University of Virginia,” he said.
https://www.law.virginia.edu/news/202401/third-year-student-wins-swanson-award
