About Me
My name is Esther, and I'm a fourth-year student at the University of Virginia, studying English and Political Philosophy, Policy, and Law!
I'm passionate about criminal justice, national security, constitutional law, and civil liberties! I'm currently working as a research intern at the Brennan Center for Justice with their Liberty & National Security program. My reporting has been featured in The Nation, The American Prospect, and The Intercept.
Featured Work
The Price of Unpaid Activism
McKenna Dunbar typically starts her day at 5:30 am. While many of her classmates are still asleep, the University of Richmond junior has begun remote work for her full-time job as a community engagement coordinator at an environmental advocacy organization, the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club.
Before He Was UVA Police Chief, Timothy Longo Helmed DNA Dragnet That Targeted Black Men
University and Charlottesville police closely coordinated to surveil and swab Black men, particularly after attacks near UVA’s campus prompted officers to patrol the area.
Washington Moves to Clear Unhoused People From Encampments
On Tuesday, the District of Columbia Council backed Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser’s decision to forge ahead with a controversial initiative to remove homeless people from encampments in public spaces across the city.
Young Climate Activists Fund Global South Projects
Some 100,000 young people marched to Glasgow’s COP26 venue last week to display their deep dissatisfaction with the glacial pace of the old-guard global leaders tasked with confronting the climate crisis.
Podcast Portfolio
This pdf includes links and descriptions of my podcasts for the UVA Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service's series titled "Intersections in Public Service"
Will Florida Republicans Follow Texas on Abortion?
State House and Senate Democrats continue to voice sharp criticism of the proposal, and in early October, thousands of pro-choice protesters took to the streets in Orlando, Miami, Tallahassee, Fort Lauderdale, and other cities and towns to protest the bill.
Incarcerated People and Returning Citizens Belong in Democracy Too — Virginia Review of Politics
Since their resurrection in the United States, felon disenfranchisement laws have represented one of white supremacy’s many appendages.