Jelani Freeman is appellate attorney for department of Veterans Affairs, and also an advocate for kids at risk.

Growing up he experienced life as a Foster care child, but he continued to rise through the challenges. He grew up in a series of inner-city neighborhoods in Rochester, N.Y. A couple of attempts were made to reunite him with his mother, he said, but he was not able to live with her again for long. He has never met his father, and he saw little of his three siblings, who were distant in age.

At age 8, he entered the Foster care system in Washington, DC. after being abandoned by his mother, who struggled with mental health issues. His father was in prison. After high school, Freeman attended SUNY Buffalo then earned a master’s in history from American University.

In 2010, he graduated from the Howard University School of Law.

He has spent his career working in government, starting with a fortuitous Senate internship for Hillary Clinton, who cited Freeman in her 2006 book It takes a village . He credits his mentor with his decision to go to law school.

Democratic National Convention Speech

Jelani is scheduled to speak on July 26th, 2016 at the DNC. Over the years, Hillary has kept in touch with Jelani and his work in improving the child care system. When he interned for Clinton's senate office in the summer of 2003, he was inspired when she spoke highly of his character and achievements as a young man to Ted Kennedy. When Jelani graduated from university and no one was there to support him, he later received a congratulations letter from Clinton when he landed his first job. ^[1]

Jelani says: “I grew up... just wanting someone to be proud of me...It was moments like that when Hillary would brag about me and build me up that I really, really treasure.”