ARCHIVES OF LEAD STORIES
March 31, 2005
Black Kennedy School students organize policy conference
Jeremy Schwab
Nicole Campbell’s impression of the John F. Kennedy School
of Government, where she is a master’s student, as a white-dominated
institution was dramatically reinforced last year when she attended
a networking event for students and alumni in New York City.
“There were one or two black alumni, out of maybe 80 to
100 alumni,” she said.
Campbell knew there were many more black alumni, but something
was keeping them away from events like networking sessions.
“Other graduate schools at Harvard had found ways to tap
into black alumni, and we hadn’t been able to do the same,”
she said.
So Campbell decided to team up with black classmates to organize
a new annual Black Policy Conference to bring African American
alumni together with Kennedy School students to discuss issues
of government policy.
The event, to take place April 8-10, serves two purposes –
to give graduates and students an opportunity to network and to
bring them together to discuss best practices in public policy.
One of the greatest challenges for the organizers was convincing
school administrators to support the new conference.
“They’d give us a very small portion of money, so
we had to reach out to alumni to get the support,” said
organizer Olu Arowolo.
Eventually, the school lent its support as well, with the master’s
in public policy program director and other staff giving advice
to the organizers.
The event will generate discussion of issues affecting black communities,
something that organizers of the event say is lacking at the Kennedy
School.
“Because we’re in an educational institution where
the majority of the professors and the research getting done is
not done by African Americans and a lot of times is not geared
for African Americans, students have to drive a lot of dialogue
when it comes to focusing on those issues,” said organizer
Monica Rodriguez.
Organizers hope to influence the way issues affecting black people
are discussed at the Kennedy School.
“This is our chance to have an impact on the Kennedy School,
and the way things are done,” said Campbell.
On Friday, April 8, the conference will kick off with an address
by Washington, D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams, who earned his master’s
in public policy in 1987. On Saturday, attendees will participate
in panel discussions on topics ranging from economic development
to health care policy to investment in Africa and the Caribbean.
A brunch on Sunday and a party and cocktails Friday and Saturday
nights will allow participants to kick back and network.
Between 120 and 150 people are expected to attend, an estimated
40 percent of them alumni and the rest students from the Kennedy
School and public policy schools across the country.
By bringing African Americans in the field together, organizers
hope to generate ideas and strategies for social change.
“It is a very challenging and isolating field, and you can’t
necessarily change things as an individual,” said Campbell.
“The way you affect change is you get together.”
The conference is open to the public for a $130 fee, with student
discounts available. To register, visit www.ksg.harvard.edu/bpc.
Back
to Lead Story Archives
Home
Page
