Black alumnae group demands Harvard 'affirm and commit' to DEI in 'all facets' of hiring, admissions after 'attacks' on Gay
A Black alumnae group at Harvard demanded that the institution "affirm and commit" to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in hiring and admissions after Claudine Gay resigned as president.
A Black alumnae group at Harvard University is demanding that the institution “affirm and commit” to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in hiring and admissions after Claudine Gay resigned as president.
Contra obtained a leaked petition created by the Black Alumnae of Harvard Equity Initiative, which describes itself as an “ad hoc group of Black women Harvard graduates who formed in the wake of the attacks on Dr. Claudine Gay and diversity and equity more broadly.”
”We, members of the Black Alumnae of Harvard Equity Initiative (BAHEI), and the additional undersigned, are writing to express our serious concern about the attacks on Dr. Claudine Gay, the University’s first Black president, that led to her unfortunate resignation, after a mere six months in office,” the petition to Harvard states. “Our joy turned to dismay as we watched Dr. Gay endure vitriol with no well-coordinated defense to counter the well-coordinated attacks. As Harvard alumni, we believe it is imperative that the University heed the lessons to be learned from this controversy.”
Members of the Black Alumnae of Harvard Equity Initiative wrote in the letter, “We want to know how Harvard will handle the selection of the next President, and how the University plans to deal with the ongoing assault on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEl) at Harvard, in academia, and in society more broadly.”
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The group listed five demands, which were sent to Harvard’s leadership:
1. Ensure that the narrative around Dr. Gay’s stepping down from the presidency is grounded in truth and that the University leadership steadfastly supports Dr. Gay going forward, defending her from any future assaults on her character, home, or person.
2. Engage in a transparent selection process for the next Harvard University President that treats diversity, equity, and inclusion as essential values.
3. Affirm and commit to DEl in all facets of university hiring and admissions, with an admission process that is valid (in light of the Supreme Court decision in Students for Fair Admissions), minimizes adverse impact, mitigates bias, and is established and communicated to all University stakeholders.
4. Refine its DEl plan so that it, as Dr. Garber stated, ”embrace[s] diversity in every dimension...create|s a welcoming environment, ensuring that every student, employee, faculty member, and visitor knows they belong (at Harvard], which will include:
The engagement and use of recognized DEl experts who are committed to the success and sustainability of the Harvard community; the creation of a DEl task force with diverse representation, including representatives from the undersigned, to openly address the needs of students, employees, and faculty members; and Harvard University’s role in fighting the attempts of those forces that seek to decrease public faith in the pillars of American society, including educational institutions like Harvard.
5. Provide historical and trend data on enrollment by race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, and legacy status, to be posted or otherwise shared with the Harvard community (including Alumni), along with periodic updates and annual reports on DEl progress.
According to the report, the Black Alumnae of Harvard Equity Initiative gave Harvard until March 15 to respond.
