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Nekima Levy Armstrong

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Nekima Levy-Pounds
A woman with dreaded black hair and a purple leather jacket speaks toward TV cameras.
Levy-Pounds in 2015 at a press conference regarding the death of Jamar Clark
President of the Minneapolis NAACP
Assumed office
2015
Preceded byJerry McAfee
Personal details
Born (1976-06-27) June 27, 1976 (age 47)
Jackson, Mississippi
NationalityAmerican
ChildrenFive
ResidenceBrooklyn Park, Minnesota
Alma mater
U. of Illinois College of Law (J.D.)

U. of Southern California (BA)

OccupationLawyer, professor, writer, activist, preacher
WebsiteOfficial website

Nekima Valdez Levy-Pounds (born June 27, 1976) is an American lawyer, professor, activist, writer, and preacher. She was elected in 2015 to be the president of the Minneapolis chapter of the NAACP and also serves on and has founded a variety of organizations that focus on issues of racial equality and disparity in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area. She is an associate professor of law at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis where she began teaching in 2003. She writes for several local publications including the Star Tribune and MinnPost and has been recognized for her legal work, including being named 2015 Attorney of the Year by Minnesota Lawyer.

Early life

Nekima Valdez Levy-Pounds was born June 27, 1976,[1] the eldest sister of five.[2] She moved to Los Angeles after spending the first eight years of her life in Jackson, Mississippi, where she was born, and later attended school in Massachusetts.[3][4] She received her BA from the University of Southern California and her J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law.[5] Levy-Pounds lived in Los Angeles until 2003 when she moved to Minnesota.[6]

Teaching and activism

Levy-Pounds began teaching law as an associate professor at the University of St. Thomas (UST) in Minneapolis in 2003.[6][4][7] In her research, she has focused on the War on Drugs, incarceration, mandatory sentencing, and sentencing guidelines, primarily as they affect women and children of color, but also young black men.[7][8][9] In 2006, Levy-Pounds founded the Community Justice Project (CJP), a partnership between UST's School of Law and the Saint Paul chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The CJP allows law students interested in working with underserved communities to gain experience through academic writing, fora, and interaction with local governments and communities.[10]

In December 2014, Levy-Pounds participated in a Black Lives Matter protest of police brutality at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. She and ten other protesters were charged by the City of Bloomington with disorderly conduct and trespass which carry a penalty of a fine up to $8,000 and a prison sentence of up to two years.[6][11] Levy-Pounds, who had in 2014 participated in anti-police brutality protests in Ferguson, Missouri, characterized herself as "a defender of the law and a protector of the law [and] a protector of my people", and the actions of the City of Bloomington as "prosecutorial overreach and misuse of taxpayers' dollars."[11] Restitution charges for $40,000 against the protesters were later withdrawn by the City[6] and in November 2015, a Hennepin County judge dismissed the charges against Levy-Pounds and the ten others charged by Bloomington.[12]

A woman with black hair in a black T-shirt speaks through a megaphone as she marches.
Levy-Pounds marching in 2015

Jerry McAfee served as president of the Minneapolis chapter of the NAACP until 2015, at which point Levy-Pounds decided to run.[6] She won the election unopposed on the ballot but faced criticism from McAfee who contended that she was too focused on issues of police brutality to the neglect of concerns such as crime perpetrated against African Americans by African Americans.[6][13] Levy-Pounds has stated that she hopes to increase youth engagement with the NAACP during her term with the organization.[6] She has been critical of racial disparities in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul region, citing them as some of the nation's worst.[14]

In November 2015, following the shooting death of Jamar Clark at the hands of Minneapolis police officers, Levy-Pounds was involved in a human blockade of Interstate 94. Of the approximately 40 protesters, Levy-Pounds was among the first arrested for the action.[15]

Levy-Pounds cofounded Brotherhood Inc., an organization dedicated to helping young African American men stay away from gang activity and prison.[10] Using what Levy-Pounds describes as "a proven holistic approach to community building that employs culturally sensitive social services, educational opportunities, and on-site employment", Brotherhood began by selling a blend of coffee, Brotherhood Brew, and currently has plans to open a coffee shop in Saint Paul.[4][16] She chairs the Minnesota State Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights and Everybody In, a nonprofit with the goal of closing race-based employment gaps in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area.[3][14] As a writer, Levy-Pounds has been published in the Twin Cities Daily Planet, MinnPost, and the Star Tribune.[14][17] Once every two months, she preaches at Minneapolis's First Covenant Church.[3]

Levy-Pounds has garnered several accolades including being named one of Lawyers of Color's "50 Under 50", Minnesota Lawyer's Attorney of the Year in 2015, and receiving the Hennepin County Bar Association's Diversity Award.[10][17]

Personal life

Levy-Pounds resides in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.[6] She has a husband and five children, of whom two are adopted.[3][18]

Selected publications

  • Levy-Pounds, Nekima (2006). "Beaten by the System and Down for the Count: Why Poor Women of Color and Children Don't Stand a Chance against U.S. Drug-Sentencing Policy" (PDF). University of St. Thomas Law Journal. 3 (3): 462–495.
  • Levy-Pounds, Nekima (2007). "From the Frying Pan into the Fire: How Poor Women of Color and Children are Affected by Sentencing Guidelines and Mandatory Minimums" (PDF). Santa Clara Law Review. 47 (2): 285–346.
  • Levy-Pounds, Nekima (2010). "Can These Bones Live: A Look at the Impacts of the War on Drugs on Poor African-American Children and Families". Hastings Race & Poverty Law Journal. 7: 353–380.
  • Levy-Pounds, Nekima (2013). "Going up in Smoke: The Impacts of the Drug War on Young Black Men". Albany Government Law Review. 6: 563–589.

References

  1. ^ "State of Minnesota v. Nekima Valdez Levy Pounds (Complaint)". State of Minnesota. January 9, 2015. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  2. ^ Karnowski, Steve (November 23, 2015). "Minneapolis protest leader is preacher, lawyer, '60s-style agitator". St. Paul Pioneer Press. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d Regan, Sheila (June 5, 2014). "Nekima Levy-Pounds walks the walk for civil rights and social justice". Twin Cities Daily Planet. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  4. ^ a b c Yuccas, Jamie (May 5, 2015). "Minnesotan To Meet: Mpls. NAACP President Nekima Levy-Pounds". WCCO-TV. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  5. ^ "Nekima Levy-Pounds". School of Law. University of St. Thomas (Minnesota). Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Williams, Brandt (May 1, 2015). "Activist Levy-Pounds hopes young people energize NAACP". MPR News. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  7. ^ a b Levy-Pounds, Nekima (2013). "Going up in Smoke: The Impacts of the Drug War on Young Black Men". Albany Government Law Review. 6: 563–589. Retrieved June 12, 2015. – via Hein Online (subscription required)
  8. ^ Levy-Pounds, Nekima (2007). "From the Frying Pan into the Fire: How Poor Women of Color and Children are Affected by Sentencing Guidelines and Mandatory Minimums" (PDF). Santa Clara Law Review. 47 (2): 285–346. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  9. ^ Levy-Pounds, Nekima (2010). "Can These Bones Live: A Look at the Impacts of the War on Drugs on Poor African-American Children and Families". Hastings Race & Poverty Law Journal. 7: 353–380. Retrieved June 12, 2015. – via Hein Online (subscription required)
  10. ^ a b c Dunlop, Sybil (February 20, 2015). "Attorneys of the Year: Nekima Levy-Pounds". Minnesota Lawyer. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  11. ^ a b Hallman, Charles (January 21, 2015). "Mall protester Levy-Pounds vows to fight charges". Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  12. ^ Reinan, John; Olson, Rochelle (November 10, 2015). "Judge dismisses charges against Black Lives Matter organizers of MoA protest". Star Tribune. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  13. ^ Reilly, Mark (May 4, 2015). "Nekima Levy-Pounds voted in as Minneapolis NAACP president". Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  14. ^ a b c Norfleet, Nicole (May 4, 2015). "Black Lives Matter advocate elected to lead Minneapolis NAACP". Star Tribune. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  15. ^ Roberts, Ashley (November 17, 2015). "Minneapolis NAACP President Speaks Out On I-94 Arrests". WCCO-TV. Archived from the original on November 18, 2015. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
  16. ^ Stroud, Jr., James L. (December 14, 2011). "Local law professor finds her calling in civil rights work". Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
  17. ^ a b Kimball, Joe (April 3, 2014). "St. Thomas law professor Levy-Pounds makes Lawyers of Color top list". MinnPost. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  18. ^ Levy-Pounds, Nekima (2015). "Protecting our black sons: A mother's perspective on race, police abuse and effecting change". Minnesota Women's Press. Retrieved June 12, 2015.

External links

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