“Democracy is like a muscle that needs practice.” For Kanisha Harrell, that practice began long before she arrived at Hopkins. She remembers the first protest she attended in seventh grade, holding a handmade sign after a school shooting. She remembers writing her first debate speech on the police killing of 12-year-old Tamir Rice. She also remembers growing up in Boise and Las Vegas, where she was, as she puts it, “visibly Black” and often in primarily white spaces. Her mother gave her what she calls “the classic Black talk” about how to respond if the police pulled her over. At the same time, she navigated poverty, her mother’s struggle with addiction, and the absence of her father. “A lot of times when people think of people who break the law, it’s in a really dehumanizing lens,” she said. “For me, I know I’m not a bad person, and I’ve been around people who’ve broken the law who aren’t bad people either.” Those experiences sharpened her sense of injustice and led her to see law not only as punishment but as “a tool for dignity and defense.”
At Hopkins, Harrell, a political science and sociology major with a minor in civic life, found a place to give structure to that drive. Her faculty advisor, Hahrie Han, encouraged her to pursue the civic life minor, and it was a natural fit. “At the end of the day, all of us live in a society,” Harrell said. “Classes in civic life help you learn how to engage with the people around you, no matter your major.”
Her entry point to the minor was Intro to Civic Life, taught by Professor Consuelo Amat. “I originally took it because it was a requirement,” she said, “but I ended up loving it. The trainings, the hands-on work, and the chance to see all the ways you can get involved showed me that civic engagement isn’t one-size-fits-all.”
The experiences from that class made a lasting impression. During a BUILD walking tour, Harrell learned how a neighborhood organizer once thought she had no power to make change until she decided to lead efforts to revitalize her community. “That was powerful for me,” Harrell recalled. “A lot of people want change but don’t think they can do it. She showed that one person really can.”
In another workshop, Tabitha Thompson had students debate whether unhoused people should be allowed to stay in public spaces. Harrell’s group opposed relocation, while others supported it. The exercise revealed shared ground. “Both sides agreed that relocation doesn’t solve homelessness,” she said. “We realized we cared about the same issues, even if our solutions were different.”
These experiences gave Harrell a way to practice dialogue across difference, something she had already been doing since childhood. Growing up left-leaning in conservative Idaho, she was used to difficult conversations. “I think oftentimes we make a lot of assumptions about the other side,” she said. “Trying to understand where someone is coming from helps humanize them. You may not always agree, but it makes it easier to find solutions that matter to both of you.”
She also points to the seminar course that introduces students to the SNF Agora faculty and fellows. “It showed the breadth of civic life and civic work,” she said. “It was awesome to see what people are doing, boots on the ground, just getting involved.”
Now a senior, Harrell is studying for the LSAT while serving as a fellow with Action Corps, a grassroots advocacy organization focused on U.S. foreign policy and human rights. She has organized advocacy on arms sales, written War Powers resolutions, and met with members of Congress. Even when she partners with groups that hold very different worldviews, she looks for common ground. “We didn’t agree on everything,” she said of one collaboration, “but we found common ground on one issue that mattered. That is what it takes to move the needle.” For Harrell, this work is part of exercising the muscle of democracy, building strength through practice and persistence.
Her advice to fellow students is simple: take advantage of the civic life offerings. “You don’t need to come in with a background in politics,” she said. “The class gives you the tools to participate in everyday civic life, whether that is community organizing, talking with your representatives, or just having tough conversations with family and friends. There is no one way to be civically engaged. Even small actions, like talking across political differences at a family dinner, are one way to practice democracy.”
Looking ahead, Harrell plans to focus on law school, community advocacy, and continuing to strengthen what she calls “the muscle of democracy.” “No matter where you come from,” she said, “you have the capacity to create the future you want for yourself and to make your community better along the way.”
