For the past 22 years, Benard McKinley has done everything in his power to turn his life around from behind bars. He’s earned a GED diploma, a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University’s Prison Education Program and, in March, received an acceptance letter from Northwestern’s Pritzker School of Law at the age of 39.
Now that McKinley’s home, the prospective law student just wants to focus on his studies so that he can one day open a nonprofit legal clinic dedicated to educating people of color in marginalized communities.
Having grown up in the Austin neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side, McKinley said he understands the challenges many people in similar communities face. When he visits his old neighborhood, he still sees people turning to drugs and alcohol to cope with the pressures of daily life.
“When I see a person addicted to drugs,” McKinley said, “I see a person that’s fallen victim to the challenges of trying to live in a community that has so many barriers stacked up against them. They probably self-medicate. They’re probably not able to go to a doctor and get medication for anxiety or depression or whatever.”
Part of McKinley’s grand vision includes providing mental health resources for those in need, but he realizes that that’s easier said than done.
“Mental health has been stigmatized as something negative, as something weak,” McKinley said.
Through hard work, he hopes to show one day that seeking professional help isn’t an indication of weakness and inadequacy, but a sign of strength and courage.
Getting the hang of things
When McKinley was released from Stateville Correctional Center in January, he said getting used to everyday life felt weird at first.
“I remember the first time I walked into the Walmart,” McKinley said. “The first thing that came to my attention was how spacious the store was.”
But after a few minutes of shopping around with his partner, it didn’t take long for McKinley to get acclimated.
“We were walking down the aisle, and I was showing her different things inside the store, and we were trying to decide what I should and what I shouldn’t get,” he said. “I felt a sense of normalcy again.”
Appreciating the small things
Despite McKinley’s busy schedule now that he is preparing for fall classes, he’s learned to slow down and take in life’s simple pleasures.
“The one thing I have been able to appreciate that consistently gives me a peace of mind,” McKinley said, “is the view.”
From the scenic view of the lakefront to squirrels scurrying in the park, McKinley admires the beauty of it all: “Those are very therapeutic moments because it shows the innocence of nature and how calm things can be despite the challenges people face.”
McKinley uses these fleeting moments as an opportunity for self-care, something he admits he struggles with from time to time.
“I’m able to at least give myself a few moments and try to take things in,” he said.
Law school admission
Getting admitted to law school, after all his hard work and sacrifice, McKinley said, feels amazing but surreal at the same time.
“I think it will finally sink in once I put that bookbag on with the 20 to 30 pounds of books and I’m headed to class,” he said.
Graduate of Northwestern prison program celebrates law school acceptance and more is from Evanston RoundTable, Evanston's most trusted source for unbiased, in-depth journalism.