Race
Third Annual Black Health Matters Conference Explores Racial Disparities and ‘Community Empowerment’
Harvard’s Black Health Matters Conference hosted its third annual conference this weekend with a series of keynote speakers, panels, and workshops discussing racial disparities in public health outcomes for black Americans.
African American Harvard Business School Alumni Lobby for Dean Who Will Prioritize Diversity and Inclusion
Members of Harvard Business School’s African-American Alumni Association urged University President Lawrence S. Bacow in a letter earlier this month to prioritize diversity and inclusion in the search for the Business School’s next dean.
Mauro Appointed New Associate Dean for Inclusion and Belonging
Mauro will direct the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion team within the Dean of Students Office. In that capacity, she will oversee the Office of BGLTQ Student Life, the Office of Diversity Education and Support, the College’s Title IX Office, and the Women’s Center, as well as the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations, which merged with EDI in February 2019.
Peabody Director Proposes Increasing Public Access to Slave Photos at Center of Lawsuit
The Faculty Executive Committee of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology will develop initiatives to increase public access to a set of historic photographs of enslaved people at the center of a lawsuit against Harvard, according to an email museum director Jane Pickering sent to the Committee.
SFFA Expert Witness Releases Working Paper Examining Harvard’s Recruitment of African American Applicants
A new working paper by Students for Fair Admissions expert witness Peter S. Arcidiacono alleged that Harvard sends recruitment materials to African American high school students who “effectively have no chance of being admitted” in order to raise the number of African American applicants to the school each year and lower the College’s acceptance rate.
Hundreds Sign Letter Condemning Asian Groups for Failing to Co-Sponsor DACA Walk-Out
Roughly 400 people across the country have signed an open letter dated Nov. 11 condemning Asian American organizations at the College for failing to co-sponsor a walk-out in support of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and Temporary Protected Status earlier this week.
FAS Report Finds Harvard Police Did Not Have 'Malicious Intent’ During Interaction with Students of Color
An FAS report found there was no evidence of “malicious intent” during an Oct. 24 interaction between Harvard police and students of color attempting to install a class art exhibition in the Yard.
Queen Latifah, Rita Dove, and Robert Smith Receive Annual W. E. B. Du Bois Medal
In addition to Latifah, Dove, and Smith this year’s recipients include co-founder of Black Entertainment Television Sheila C. Johnson; Andrew W. Mellon Foundation president Elizabeth Alexander; artist Kerry James Marshall; and Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution Lonnie G. Bunch III.
Annual Kennedy School Diversity Report Shows Little Change from 2018
The Harvard Kennedy School has seen little or no change across various demographics in its student, faculty, and staff population, according to the school’s annual diversity report released Thursday.
Harvard Launches Culture Lab Innovation Fund Initiative
The Office of the President and the University’s Office for Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging officially launched a joint initiative called the Harvard Culture Lab Innovation Fund, the University announced in an email Wednesday.
NAACP Legal Defense Fund Attorneys Discuss Admissions Lawsuit Ruling with Harvard Cultural Affinity Groups
Michaele N. Turnage Young, senior counsel at the NAACP LDF, answered students’ questions about the forthcoming appeals process. SFFA filed its notice of appeal on Friday — a move experts say could extend litigation for several years.
Lead Trial Lawyer for SFFA Criticizes Ruling in Harvard Admissions Lawsuit
Students for Fair Admissions’s lead trial lawyer Adam K. Mortara denounced the recent ruling in the Harvard admissions lawsuit, arguing at a Harvard Law School event Tuesday that the judge had misinterpreted the case’s facts and legal precedents.
Harvard Awards W. E. B. Du Bois Medals to Queen Latifah, Rita Dove
The W. E. B. Du Bois medal recognizes individuals who have made “significant contributions” to African and African American history and culture, according to a press release. The honorees will be recognized at an awards ceremony on Oct. 22 in Sanders Theatre.
Harvard Physics, Women+ of Color Project Collaborate on Graduate School Workshop
The Harvard Physics department, in collaboration with the Women+ of Color Project, hosted a Graduate School 101 Workshop Weekend from Friday to Sunday for women who come from backgrounds underrepresented in physics.
Panelists Discuss Technology and Race at Harvard IOP Event
The panelists at the event — dubbed “The Politics of Difference: Race, Technology, and Inclusion” — discussed a variety of topics, ranging from targeted advertising in social media to video game “culture wars.”
Rhode Island Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening Prof. Believed to Be Affiliated With Harvard
The man — 29-year-old Matthew Haviland of North Kingston, R.I. — also sent threats to a school in Massachusetts reported to be one of Harvard’s professional schools.
Harvard SEAS Releases Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Strategic Plan
Harvard’s SEAS released a five year strategic plan to address diversity, inclusion, and belonging in school in an email to faculty, staff, and students earlier this week.
White Coats for Black Lives Group Gives Harvard Medical School C+ for Diversity and Inclusion
Harvard Medical School received a “C+” on a report issued Monday by advocacy group White Coats for Black Lives evaluating diversity, inclusion, and integration of minorities at 17 medical institutions across the country.
Lawsuit Alleging Harvard Law Review Discriminates in Member Selection Process Dismissed
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit Thursday that was brought against the Harvard Law Review in October alleging the legal journal violates federal anti-discrimination laws in its member and article selection policies.
Harvard Law School Students Say School Improperly Addressed Racist, Sexist Texts
Four Harvard Law School students contend that the school did not take meaningful action to address a series of racist and sexist messages sent anonymously to the students after an investigation failed to determine the messages’ origins.
Man Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for 2017 Harvard Black Commencement Bomb Threat
Phoenix, Ariz. resident Nicholas Zuckerman was sentenced to 15 months in prison and three years of supervised release Wednesday after he threatened to bomb Harvard's 2017 black Commencement ceremony.
Harvard Police Investigating Racist, Anti-Semitic Email Sent to Students, Bacow
The Harvard University Police Department is investigating an email containing a litany of racist and antisemitic statements that was sent to University President Lawrence S. Bacow and multiple College students Monday.
Federal Prosecutors Seek Prison Sentence for Man who Threatened to Bomb Harvard’s Black Commencement
Federal prosecutors recommended a prison sentence of 18 months for a man who threatened to bomb Harvard and shoot attendees of the University’s 2017 black Commencement ceremony, according to Thursday court filings.
Agassiz’s Descendants Urge Harvard To Turn Over Slave Photos
A group representing 43 descendants of former Harvard professor Louis Agassiz delivered a letter to University President Lawrence S. Bacow Thursday urging him to turn over a set of historic slave photos to a Connecticut woman who alleges they depict her ancestors.
Harvard Students Attend Graduation Ceremonies for Latinx and Black Seniors
College students gathered Tuesday evening for two commencement ceremonies for students from underrepresented backgrounds, one for Latinx students and another for black students.