Noah Harris: Harvard Elects Black Man As Student Body President For First Time

 

For it to come in a year of so many racial injustices with George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and people who were taken from our communities, it makes it that much more of a statement,’ says Noah Harris.

Harvard University has for the first time in the school’s three-century history elected a black man as the president of its student body.  

Noah Harris, 20, is a junior in Dunster House and is majoring in government studies.  

Mr Harris told CBS Boston that he does not shy away from his identity of being a Black man from Mississippi. 

 “It was a historic election and for it to come in a year of so many racial injustices with George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and people who were taken from our communities, it makes it that much more of a statement on the part of Harvard and the student body,” Mr Harris, who is also a co-chair of the Undergraduate Council’s Black Caucus at the school, said.  

He added that “it’s a message to the university that we really have to be conscious about the decisions that we’re making, and how we’re standing with all of our students of colour and making sure that their college experience and just their livelihoods are as good as possible, when a university like Harvard has so many resources.”

Mr Harris, along with his vice president Jenny Gan, in their campaign pushed for proactive steps to tackle issues like sexual assault and mental health, while emphasising diversity and inclusion. “We will hold Harvard accountable for its commitment to anti-racism", read their electoral plan.

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