Alton Coston III will graduate from the College of William & Mary of Williamsburg, Virginia, in 2023.
Born in Richmond, Alton’s passion for socioeconomic justice derives from the scarcity of adequate opportunities for educational advancement in his community. A Truman and Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholar, he seeks to foster community, empowerment, and healing in each setting he joins.
Alton currently serves as the Undersecretary of Multicultural Affairs of William & Mary’s Student Assembly, responsible for ensuring quality programming for the student body concerning equity matters. In this role, he assisted in the university’s first-ever Sankofa Legacy Festival, showcasing the beauty and brilliance of the Black American experience and involving Black businesses, performances, and the arts.
Alton’s interest in constitutional law is served by his research with William & Mary Law School’s Center for Racial & Social Justice on disproportionate uses of racial discipline in public school settings. He serves as president of the African American Male Coalition, a safe space for the College’s multicultural male students and faculty to receive free food, and haircuts, and showcase vulnerability as strength through meaningful conversations.
Following graduation, Alton intends to pursue a joint MPP/JD to combine his interests in education and law to protect the civil rights of students in public education settings.