A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Danielle Blevins originally had no idea what the Blackburn Institute was. Upon being anonymously nominated, she scrolled through the Blackburn website and immediately connected with the mission and vision of the organization. To Danielle, Blackburn provided an avenue for combining her passions: community engagement, ethical leadership, and storytelling. She officially joined the Institute in 2007, learning from the student curriculum for two years before being pinned as a Fellow in 2009.
Today, Danielle serves the United States Department of Energy as a senior attorney for privacy law, managing channels of sensitive, agency-based information and providing legal counsel to program offices, including DOE’s Office of the Chief Information Officer. A proud graduate of The University of Alabama School of Law, she has lived in Washington D.C. for over a decade, serving as a D.C. liaison for the Institute.
Though her career has moved her outside of her home state, Danielle has never allowed her passion for Blackburn, nor Alabama, to wane. Some of her fondest memories as a student include personal interactions with Dr. Blackburn, bearing witness to the values and vision of the Institute through its namesake. His intergenerational connection with students modeled a tangible framework for engaging in challenging conversations and sitting under the resulting cloak of tension, as opposed to avoiding it. These lessons were foundational to a collaborative spirit that she holds dear, and friendships she formed as a student have stood the test of time over nearly two decades as a Blackburn community member. In fact, the sentiment of “what would John L. do?” has remained a steadfast guiding inquiry among her Blackburn circle, taking root in conversations at their first Symposiums and bleeding into their day-to-day calls to action.
It was her commitment to carrying on the legacy of openness and understanding that led Danielle back to Blackburn as an advisory board member. Viewing Blackburn’s expansive network as a source of pride, she routinely commits to her lifetime pledge in the Institute, encouraging other Fellows outside of the state lines to do the same. Even for Fellows who are unable to regularly attend events, taking well-deserved reprieves to focus on their lives, careers, and families, the Institute provides a stepping stone to reignite passion areas, build intergenerational dialogues, and acknowledge differing perspectives. As Danielle points out, Blackburn remains one of the few, non-virtual third spaces where people can “critically engage with the world around [them].”
When asked what Danielle would tell her younger self prior to joining Blackburn, her statement was simple and to the point—”You will get out of Blackburn what you put into it.” Danielle’s passion for community building was well established prior to joining the Institute, though she credits her time within its curriculum for revealing the core tenet of civic engagement: collaborative, inclusive problem solving that rejects the premise of tackling issues individually. Put simply, showing up for, meeting with, and knowing about one another are fundamental cornerstones of relationship growth, and, consequently, genuine change.
Furthermore, in this search for connection and striving for change, Danielle encourages everyone to be guided by the prospect of impact over the allure of recognition. True transformation is found in a culmination of the little shifts, as opposed to an accrual of accolades. She is confident that this mindset, coupled with the mission, vision, and values of the Institute, will be paramount in its continued success for the next 30 years and beyond.
If you’re looking to connect with the Blackburn community in D.C., feel free to email BlackburninDC@gmail.com