It was announced this week that Bralin Duckett and Spencer Snipe, undergraduate students majoring in Political Science, were chosen as part of the 2026 cohort at the Institute for Responsible Citizenship Washington Program. The program, which picks 12 of the "nation’s best and brightest African American male college students," provides a wide range of support including a high-level paid internship, housing, professional workshops and meetings, and more over two summers in Washington DC.
The prestigious program has been supporting Black students for over 20 years. According to the Institute's website, "more than 250 young men have participated in the Washington Program and have gone on to a wide range of successful and impactful careers" including Fulbright scholars, Rhodes scholars, PhDs, lawyers, and more. Visit the Washington Program's website to learn more about the program and its alumni, and read Bralin and Spencer's bios below.
Bralin Duckett, a Missouri native, is pursuing majors in Political Science and Sociology at Washington University in St. Louis. He spent last summer working with United States District Court Judge Steven D. Grimberg in the Northern District of Georgia, studying the RISE (Reentry through Integrity, Strength & Empowerment) program. His research explored the challenges of reintegration and recidivism through interviews with program participants. On campus, Bralin is a founding member and secretary of WashU’s NAACP chapter, where he advocates for racial equity and community empowerment. He also serves as Speaker of the Congress of the South 40, overseeing student programming for over 4,000 students and fostering collaboration between university administrators and residential communities.
Spencer Snipe is a student-athlete at Washington University in St. Louis, hailing from Atlanta, Georgia. He is pursuing a major in Political Science with a concentration in American Politics and double minors in Legal Studies and African & African American Studies. He is a John B. Ervin Scholar, Co-President of the Association of Black Students, Vice President of the Alpha Eta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, and a linebacker on the football team. In the summer of 2024, as a Gephardt Institute Goldman Fellow, he interned with the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri, conducting expungement case studies in the 21st and 22nd Judicial Circuits. Upon graduation, Spencer plans to attend law school and become an attorney.
