Hamilton Alum Advocates for Racial Justice

Posse Miami’s alumni community grows every May when regalia-clad Scholars cross the graduation stage at their respective schools. It also grows every time an alum from another Posse city moves to Miami. Hamilton College alum Denise Ghartey, a Boston native, relocated to Miami after graduating from Harvard Law School in 2019. She initially made the move as part of a fellowship program at the Community Justice Project, a local nonprofit focused on addressing the city’s challenges with climate gentrification.

After her fellowship, Denise continued as a lawyer at the organization until 2023, centering her work on the housing crisis in Miami—a problem exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The law is powerful, but it isn’t always a source of justice,” says Denise. “It can be complicated and inaccessible. It is my duty to make it more just.”

When asked why she has pursued a career in public interest law, Denise lights up.

“I have benefitted from people doing the kind of work I do now,” she says. “It changed my trajectory. And I find joy in helping others to find their joy.”

Today Denise works remotely with the Advancement Project, an organization based in D.C. that focuses on voting rights, policing and criminalization, and education justice. She remains in Miami where she has found a strong social justice community.

“I am happiest when working with people and in community solving problems that have had an impact on myself and the people I love.” Denise explains.

Community-building has been a throughline across all Denise’s experiences. That passion is what first excited her about the Posse model and continues to sustain her relationship with her Posse today.

“I love my Posse and still talk to them regularly. Some of my best friends are Posse Scholars, whether they were part of my Posse or others. I am very lucky to have had this community to get through school and life with.”