Meet the formerly incarcerated single mom who has gone viral for passing bar exam on first try

Afrika Owes’ emotional response to learning that she had passed the bar exam on her first attempt has gone viral online. In a video that has received over 3 million views since April 25, the 30-year-old mother is shown checking her exam results from February online, with her closest friend encouraging her over the phone and her brother standing behind her.

Photos of her 4-year-old son as well as those of her late mother and grandparents are displayed next to her. She yells “I passed! I passed!” before jumping up and then bursting into tears after seeing the result. 

“POV: You’re a formerly incarcerated single mom who passed the bar early on the first try,” she wrote to accompany the video. “Thank you to my angels, my momma, my grandma. Thank you for my son, my brother, my family and my tribe.”

Ever since she was a little girl, Owes had dreamed of being a lawyer, having witnessed her late mother Karen Owes fight for their Harlem neighborhood and stressing “the importance of knowing the law, whether or not you’re a lawyer.”

However, according to a 2011 New York Times article, Owes was arrested and charged when she was 17 as part of a conspiracy case involving gangs. She later pleaded guilty to felony charges of conspiracy and weapons possession and was sentenced under the New York youthful offender program.

She told GMA, “From that, I only served six months on Rikers Island and then I had a few years of probation. And then after successfully completing two years of college, which was a condition of my release, I was taken off of probation. I was adjudicated as a youthful offender.”

“I strayed from my path, but they made sure that I got right back on track,” she said of how she worked hard to overcome her past experiences and write a new chapter in her life with the support of her family and the Harlem community. “They didn’t judge me, and they never let me go. I want my story to be a testament to that, for communities as well, that everybody makes mistakes.”

Owes, who is a third-year student at Fordham University School of Law, will hopefully graduate on May 20. After graduation, she intends to practice tax law and look into obtaining a judicial clerkship.

In a statement, Fordham Law Dean Matthew Diller told the publication that Owes’s tale is motivational. He remarked, “I have gotten to know Afrika during her time as a student and she has been a tremendously positive force at our school, bringing students together as both a leader of Black Law Students Association and our Student Bar Association. Her story is inspiring and I am excited to see the contributions that she will make to our profession and our society in the years to come.”

The number of Black test takers who pass the bar is still low, according to figures released by the American Bar Association in 2023. It said that the pass rate for Black candidates was about 57%, compared to 83% for their white counterparts. Researchers say that those who pass on their first try often do not have huge family responsibilities or a busy work schedule and do not lack the financial resources to complete their studies.

As for the ex-convict mother, she said she hoped her story would encourage others to follow their ambitions.

Owes noted, “It can feel very isolating on this journey and I wanted people to know they are not alone and that I’m here. And if I’m that one catalyst that shows you that you do belong, then I hope that that continues to push you on your journey.”