Warmly lit trees and the Yeshiva Jazz Ensemble set the scene for the 14th annual BALLSA Celebration that honored philanthropist Kwanza Jones, Class of 1999, on February 28. The event brought in a record $60,000, which went toward funding four merit-based scholarships, while the law firm Morrison Cohen presented the $5,000 Morrison Cohen Summer Award to a fifth student.
The Black, Asian & Latino Law Students Association (BALLSA) seeks to create more equitable spaces at Cardozo and in the legal and business professions.
Each year, the group raises money for student awards, and this year, funds supported the BALLSA Scholarship Fund, a need-based award for a student who has overcome hardship and contributed to the diverse student associations at Cardozo.
BALLSA Alumni Co-Chairs Alexandra Nieto ’19 and Amanda Sewanan ’20 presented the award to Jones, who partners with for-profits and nonprofits to work toward societal change that benefits millions of lives.
Jones and her life and business partner founded the Kwanza Jones & José E. Feliciano Initiative, a philanthropic grant-making and investment organization that has committed more than $200 million to education, entrepreneurship, equity and empowerment.
While at Cardozo, Jones participated in the Arts & Entertainment Law Journal and the Kukin Program for Conflict Resolution.
In her remarks, Jones discussed what Cardozo meant to her and noted that, with its 50th anniversary coming up in 2026, it is still relatively young compared with other law schools.
“It was because of that I was excited to come,” she said. “There was creativity, there was innovation, there was the possibility to create for yourself the foundations of a life well lived.”
Jones’ education journey bolsters her involvement in diversity and inclusion. She went from getting her undergraduate degree from Princeton University—one of the oldest educational institutions in the country—to attaining her J.D. from Cardozo School of Law—a young school—and later received a master’s degree from Pepperdine University—a Christian University.
“That combination is diversity,” she said. “That’s equity. That’s inclusion. That’s in my DNA, and that’s part of the foundation of a life well lived at Cardozo that I have and continue to have.”
Photos: Eryc Perez de Tagle
