Maria Bánjọ exemplifies the voice, the passion, and the perspective we need more of in our legal system. A daughter of Nigerian immigrants, at age eight Maria began working in her family’s small business in The Underground Atlanta, a store for African clothing and artifacts that they started out of one suitcase’s worth of inventory. From an early age, Maria had a front seat to the ways our system isn’t built to encourage immigrants and people of color. That consciousness has remained with her as she has carved a career in law and politics that hinges on lifting up the voices of those who traditionally go unheard.