Akil Leggett, Jr.

Akil Leggett, Jr. of Annapolis, Maryland, is a second-year student at the University of Chicago, where he is a Comparative Human Development major with a minor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. He serves as the Co-Action Chair for the Organization of Black Students and Co-Coordinator of Events and Partnerships for the ‘Leaders of Color’ at the Institute of Politics.

Akil is the Director of Communications for the Blacks of the Chesapeake Foundation (BoCF). In this role, he collaborates on numerous projects with a variety of partners that aim to target young people within marginalized communities in the Chesapeake Region. Key partners include Black in Marine Science, the University of Maryland's Center for Environmental Sciences, the Project W.E.T. Foundation, 2-CM Dreams, and many more. Through this role, Akil served as the project manager on the development of the new BoCF website (Blacksofthechesapeake.com) with the technical assistance and expertise of students in the IConsultancy Co-hort at the University of Maryland College of Information.

In this position, Akil is embodying his passion for advocacy through informing other young people on how they can make their voices heard regarding climate and health solutions. Akil’s ultimate goal is to inspire more young people to champion their cause for their specific community with confidence and support from the BoCF. Akil’s authentic personality, with his extensive extracurricular track record, has shaped him into a change-maker, ready to build solutions.