Ki’tay Davidson, an AU Class of 2014 alum and disability justice activist, died in his sleep on Dec. 2, according to a Facebook post from members of his family.
Ryan Durgin, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences and a friend of Davidson, said he remembers his classmate for his originality and compassion.
“Ki'tay was the most genuine person I have ever known,” Durgin said in an email. “He was a visionary who focused, above all else, on radical love.”
Durgin also spoke of Davidson’s passion for activism and creating positive change.
“He was a true champion of change and his legacy has inspired and ignited the flame for change in many individuals who will continue his fight for justice,” Durgin said.
While at AU, Davidson, who was the director of Ableism Awareness and Community Outreach in the Disability Rights Coalition, aimed to spread awareness of disability rights issues. He also spoke at high schools and other universities in the area about disability advocacy, according to an article on the AU campus life website.
“He was a true champion of change and his legacy has inspired and ignited the flame for change in many individuals who will continue his fight for justice.”
- Ryan Durgin, CAS senior
Davidson was acknowledged for his devotion to social justice when The White House named him a Champion of Change for his work in disability advocacy on July 25, 2013, The Eagle previously reported. Davidson spoke at the White House about disability rights movement.
“The injustices of our society are institutional and it is easy to become complacent, fatigued or entitled; but our community’s ability to disrupt the dominant narrative by advocating unrelentingly is incredible,” Davidson said in his speech at the White House.
In his speech, he challenged all individuals to become advocates even if they do not see themselves as charismatic leaders.
In the comments of Davidson’s family’s post on his Facebook wall, AU alumnae thanked him for his inspiring calls to action and the various impressions he make on their lives. A former student created a google form where other classmates can share their memories of Davidson.
After graduating from AU, Davidson became a social innovation coordinator at the Goldhirsh Foundation in Los Angeles. The Foundation grants money to organizations like City Year, an organization focused on education reform that create social change in the area, according to its website.
Davidson will be remembered by many for his work as an agent of change at AU and in Los Angeles after graduation, according to Durgin and other peers on social media.
“The genuine love and passion that he put towards everything and everyone around him will carry on forever,” Durgin said. “Even those who only briefly came into contact with him could feel his true inner beauty radiate through.”
