Third-Place Winner of Constantine Cannon’s Fifth Whistleblower Essay Contest: Berdjinaille Louis
By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team
The Constantine Cannon whistleblower team is delighted to announce the Third-Place Winner of the firm’s Fifth Law School Scholarship Essay Contest. That award (and the $400 prize) goes to Berdjinaille Louis.
About Berdjinaille
Berdjinaille is a first-generation college graduate and an incoming student at Howard University School of Law. Her journey began at the University of South Florida where she earned a degree in Criminology and Economics and co-founded Black Women in Law to support Black women pursuing legal careers. Service, advocacy, and leadership have all influenced Berdjinaille’s path.
She worked as a legal assistant, helped constituents in the office of Congresswoman Kathy Castor, and served as a Teach for America mentor to kids. These experiences reinforced her core beliefs about responsibility, bravery, and the value of speaking up for others. As Berdjinaille pursues a law career, she hopes to uphold these principles by protecting underserved communities and making sure that people who speak out against injustice are taken seriously and given support.
Berdjinaille writes about a whistleblower who has deeply inspired her and with whom she deeply connects — someone who embodies “unwavering honesty, courage, and the conviction that a single voice, especially one from the margins, can challenge and reshape entire systems.”
Berdjinaille’s Winning Essay
Some names become more than just names; they become mirrors reflecting the kind of person you hope to be. For me, that name is Dr. Tommie Toni Savage. I first encountered her story not as a distant historical fact but as a quiet revelation during a late-night research session for a school project. She was initially a case study among a list of whistleblowers who had come forward with information about misconduct. But when I learned more, her story became much more personal. It demonstrated a certain multi-layered bravery that greatly relates to my own experience as a Black woman.
Dr. Savage, a Black woman and a contracting officer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, uncovered a web of fraudulent contracts worth millions of dollars. She did everything by the book, reporting up the chain of command through every proper channel. The audits confirmed her findings, but instead of action, she was met with a wall of silence. Her superiors hid the reports, choosing institutions over integrity.
Here is where her story transcends the typical whistleblower narrative. Her identity was not a separate fact. It was the lens through which her entire ordeal was focused. She was not just punished for speaking truth to power. She was targeted for daring to do so as a Black woman who refused to be silenced. The retaliation was not only professional. It included destroyed evidence, lowered performance ratings, and denied awards. But it was also deeply personal. She was subjected to racial slurs and a toxic environment that weaponized her identity against her. It culminated in panic attacks and PTSD. When the very workplace that sanctioned this harassment forced her out, she was terminated for being absent. The system designed to protect itself had blamed her for its own violence.
Her journey is a stark illustration of the intersection where principled truth-telling collides with systemic prejudice. It is a place where the weight of misogynoir compounds the act of whistleblowing. I recognize this in the subtle and not-so-subtle ways the world tries to dictate how a Black woman should speak, act, and exist. Dr. Savage’s refusal to fit that mold of silence was, in itself, an act of revolutionary courage.
Her fight stretched over 15 years and ultimately changed the law. The Savage Standard now protects federal whistleblowers from hostile work environments, and she received a long-overdue letter of apology. But what moves me beyond the legal victory is her profound, human resilience. She stood her ground not only against corruption but against the crushing pressure to disappear, to be quiet, to know her place.
I connect deeply with her story because I’ve felt that same pressure myself. I know how hard it is to decide when to speak up and when to stay silent. I know the fear of being branded “angry” or “difficult” simply for asking to be treated fairly. Dr. Savage’s life reminds me that our voices matter, especially when they shake. That our integrity is a powerful force, even when it costs us. She embodies the truth that speaking out while Black and female is a brave act of claiming space and refusing to let injustice be comfortable.
This scholarship would be more than financial aid. It would be an investment in the same mindset. This opportunity would allow me to continue my studies guided by the values Dr. Savage embodies: unwavering honesty, courage, and the conviction that a single voice, especially one from the margins, can challenge and reshape entire systems. I carry her story as both an inspiration and a responsibility. Like her, I want to live a life that speaks truth to power while holding doors open for those who will come after me.
More Whistleblower Essays
Constantine Cannon congratulates Berdjinaille on her outstanding essay, and invites readers to peruse our other winning essays. And to all those law students looking to follow in Berdjinaille’s footsteps with their own winning essay, we just launched our Sixth Whistleblower Essay Contest. Throw your hat in the ring! We look forward to reading what you have to say about whistleblowers or your own whistleblower experience.
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