Demetrist Booker

Fulbright University of Bristol Summer Institute - Arts, Activism and Social Justice

Demetrist Booker was born in Walterboro, South Carolina, and raised in a military family that moved frequently across the U.S. He is a sophomore at Duke University, majoring in Public Policy with a minor in African & African American Studies. His interests include racial justice, combating systemic disenfranchisement, and the intersection of policy and community empowerment.

He is excited to attend the University of Bristol Summer Institute and to explore how arts, activism, and global history shape social movements. This experience will deepen his understanding of transatlantic racial histories and the role of cultural expression in political change. The Summer Institute aligns with his academic goals and his long-term aspiration to attend law school and pursue civil rights advocacy.

On campus, Demetrist is the incoming Vice President of the Black Student Alliance, Secretary of the Black Pre-Law Society, and a representative on Duke’s Presidential Council on Black Affairs. He also works as a research assistant at Duke Law and at the Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture. A Spring 2025 initiate of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., he serves through community advocacy.

In his free time, Demetrist is a passionate vexillologist, collecting world flags and gaining a deeper appreciation for global cultures.