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Formerly Incarcerated Single Mom Passes Bar Exam On First Try — See Her Emotional Reaction

A woman wearing glasses is excitedly reading something in front of her.

A single mom was floored when she found out that she’d not only passed the bar exam, but had done so on her first try! Afrika Owes had spent her whole life dreaming of this moment, and her reaction to the news was truly precious. In a heartwarming video, the law student filmed herself reading the test results. She jumped out of her chair in excitement when she found out that she passed!

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“I knew I could do it,” she said, crying.

Please be aware that there is some NSFW language in the clip.

@afrika.owes

Thank you to my angels, my momma, my grandma. Thank you for my son, my brother, my family and my tribe. I’m beyond happy to join the ranks of the 2% of Black women Attorneys in the U.S. #singlemom #attorney #blackattorney #lawyer

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Afrika’s video has reached over 2 million viewers, and her inspiring story has touched the hearts of even more. Good Morning America tells us that this law student had plenty of obstacles to overcome on her way to achieving her dream of passing the bar. One of her biggest hurdles was her arrest at the age of 17. After pleading guilty to charges of conspiracy and weapons possession, she was incarcerated for six months.

Afrika’s family helped her every step of the way.

Throughout that difficult period and beyond, Afrika credits her family and community with helping her move forward.

“I strayed from my path, but they made sure that I got right back on track,” she said. “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.”

In her video, Afrika gave a special thank you to her family members for their support. She especially thanked her mother, her grandmother, her brother, and her son. In fact, she even had photos of her loved ones with her when she found out that she passed the bar exam!

A woman wearing glasses is excitedly reading something in front of her.
Screengrab from TikTok

“I’m beyond happy to join the ranks of the 2% of Black women Attorneys in the U.S.,” Afrika added in her caption.

Unfortunately, this statistic is accurate. According to Forbes, 2.28% of attorneys in 2023 were Black women.

“Black women comprise a small percentage of all lawyers employed in U.S. Law firms, accounting for only 2.28% of all attorneys,” reads the report. “There are fewer female Black female attorneys than many other minority groups, including Asian and Latino attorneys.”

We’re wishing all the best to Afrika Owes as she continues to pursue her dreams. Now that she’s passed the bar exam, we can’t wait to see where her career takes her!

You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.

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