Alumni Spotlight: LaQunya Baker-McKay

As part of our 30th Anniversary celebration, we’re shining the spotlight on our amazing alumni! We’re proud to feature LaQunya, an AAST alumnus!

LaQunya Baker-McKay: Bringing African American Studies Into Law and Judicial Leadership

LaQunya Baker-McKay ’13 has built a legal career shaped by her understanding of African American history and her commitment to addressing the over-incarceration of Black and Brown people. A graduate of Communications, with a minor in African American Studies, Baker-McKay credits her experience at the College of Charleston with inspiring her to pursue law school.

After earning her Juris Doctor in 2016 from Charlotte School of Law, she became a public defender in Colorado. She was later appointed by the governor as the first Black woman to serve on the District Court bench in Arapahoe County, Colorado.

Today, as a District Court Judge, Baker-McKay continues to draw on the historical knowledge and sense of identity she developed through African American Studies.

From African American Studies to Law School

For Baker-McKay, African American Studies helped establish the direction of her professional life.

She identifies her time with the program as the inspiration for attending law school. Her legal career subsequently centered on the over-incarceration of Black and Brown people, leading her into public defense and eventually judicial service.

That path connects her undergraduate education to work within the legal system. Studying African American history gave her a foundation for understanding the relationship between law, freedom, and the experiences of Black communities.

“My knowledge of African American history and laws that impacted black society and our freedoms is something I use everyday.”

For Baker-McKay, that knowledge remains part of her daily professional practice.

Bringing Historical Understanding Into Legal Work

Baker-McKay’s career has taken her from representing people as a public defender to serving as a District Court Judge.

Across that progression, African American Studies has provided a historical framework for understanding the issues at the center of her work. Her attention to over-incarceration reflects her interest in how the legal system affects Black and Brown communities.

Her academic background also provides a personal foundation. As a Black student at a predominantly white institution—and later as a professional in a predominantly white field—she found that understanding her culture and history helped ground her sense of purpose.

“That educational background has grounded me in who I am and why I do what I do,” she says.

Her reflections show how historical knowledge and personal identity can inform both a career choice and the purpose someone carries into that career.

Lessons She Carries Forward

When reflecting on the influence of African American Studies, Baker-McKay emphasizes the lasting value of historical understanding and cultural grounding.

History informs daily practice. Knowledge of African American history and the laws that have affected Black communities remains relevant to her work every day. Her education helped connect the study of the past with the legal questions she encounters professionally.

Cultural understanding strengthens identity. Baker-McKay credits the program with helping her more fully understand her culture and history. That understanding has remained a source of grounding as she moved from college into the legal profession.

An academic minor can shape an entire career. Reflecting on her undergraduate experience, she emphasizes how deeply the African American Studies minor influenced her direction.

“I often think about how impactful even participating in the minor program shaped my career and helped me fully understand my culture and history,” she says.

Together, these lessons illustrate how an undergraduate program can continue to influence professional decisions, daily work, and a lasting sense of purpose.

Recognition and Leadership

Baker-McKay’s professional accomplishments and affiliations include:

• District Court Judge, Colorado

• First Black woman appointed to the District Court bench in Arapahoe County, Colorado

• Former public defender in Colorado

• 2022 Ally of the Year, LGBT Bar Association

• Juris Doctor, 2016, Charlotte School of Law

• Member, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated

Her area of interest is race and the law, and she welcomes opportunities to connect with students through guest speaking and facilitation, mentoring, and networking.

With sufficient advance notice, Baker-McKay would also welcome the opportunity to return to campus to speak or engage with students.

An Education That Grounds Purpose

Baker-McKay’s reflections on African American Studies center on how an education can help someone understand both their history and their reason for pursuing a particular path.

The program helped inspire her decision to attend law school, informed her focus on the over-incarceration of Black and Brown people, and strengthened her sense of identity within predominantly white academic and professional settings.

Her journey—from the College of Charleston to public defense and the District Court bench in Colorado—illustrates the lasting reach of that foundation.

For Baker-McKay, African American Studies remains connected to who she is, why she serves, and the historical understanding she brings to her work each day.