Chelsea Clayton
Chelsea was born and raised in Harlem, New York. She graduated magna cum laude from Howard University with a B.A. in both Political Science and History.
Growing up in Harlem, Chelsea became aware of the educational disparities in her community when she earned the opportunity to attend a specialized public high school in the city. At this institution, she noticed the stark differences in her educational experience and that of her lifelong friends who attended traditional public schools. She began to see how the lack of educational opportunities for her peers altered their paths in life. This experience solidified her desire to empower young people in her community just like others had done for her.
After graduating from Howard, Chelsea joined Teach for America in the New York City Region as an Early Childhood Educator. During her teaching career, Chelsea spent five years teaching in the Bronx and Harlem, where she consistently pushed for culturally responsive teaching that supported the development of the “whole child.” She helped develop a robust Black History Month curriculum for grades K-4, which highlighted the resilience and achievements of Black people from across the globe while also teaching students about the institution of slavery, segregation, the African Diaspora, and the importance of self-love. Additionally, Chelsea created and led professional development sessions on diversity, inclusion, and anti-racist teaching practices.
Chelsea also served as a Policy and Advocacy Fellow at Leadership for Educational Equity. During this fellowship, she researched and analyzed policies related to creating and implementing Black History curricula in public schools nationwide. Chelsea presented her research and statistical analysis to school board members from various school districts throughout the country.
She is eager to start her legal career at Georgetown and join the legacy of litigators and change agents who utilized the law to examine our society and affect systemic change.