The HKS Black Alumni Association will engage in public service projects and work on issues of particular concern to people of color.
By Stephanie Daly
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The Harvard Kennedy School Black Alumni Association (HKS BAA), a new shared interest group (SIG), was approved by the HKS Alumni Board of Directors in September. The BAA aims to advance and promote issues affecting HKS’s current students, black alumni, the administration, faculty, staff and the black community within the United States and globally. The group was established independently in 2009, but members are now excited to become an official shared interest group of the School.
Alumni formed the BAA to strengthen the network of 1,000 plus black alumni and to promote a collaborative relationship with current students, the School’s administration, faculty, and the Office of Alumni Relations and Resource Development. The SIG will also support the recruitment and success of black students, faculty, and staff at HKS and members will serve as mentors for current students and help them with their career paths. In addition, the BAA will foster discussions and address potential solutions to the many social issues that disproportionately affect communities of color.
The immediate areas of focus for the SIG are to grow and engage the BAA network, to support current students through the Black Policy Conference and other key initiatives, and to host social and policy-based activities that will galvanize black alumni around issues of concern to the community.
Shared interest groups allow HKS alumni across the globe to connect, collaborate, and advocate for common causes and interests. The BAA is the fifth official HKS SIG. The others are Adaptive Leadership Alumni, Public Service Fellows Alumni (PSFA), W3D (Women in Defense, Diplomacy, and Development), and HUMAN (Harvard Kennedy School’s United Mason Alumni Network).
For more information on the HKS Black Alumni Association or to get involved, please contact kennedyschoolblackalumni@gmail.com.