OPINION COMMENTARY:

The merits of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are being fiercely debated on university campuses and elsewhere in society. Dr. Judi Brown Clarke, a chief diversity officer at a public research university and Olympic medalist, advocates for incorporating Olympic values and game theory into DEI initiatives thereby creating inclusive campus environments.

OPINION COMMENTARY:

Approximately 3% of deceased undocumented immigrants donate kidneys, yet only 0.2% receive kidney transplants. Dr. Joel Adler highlights this stark disparity and calls for a reexamination of the organ transplant system, advocating for eligibility based on fairness and medical need.

Destinee Filmore was an undergraduate at Spelman College when she realized that there were almost no historical markers in Atlanta that explicitly addressed the history of enslavement in the city. She decided to change that by creating a technologically innovative social impact project that addresses forgotten, hidden or ignored African American histories. Filmore takes us through the challenging process that resulted in moving her idea from concept to execution.

OPINION COMMENTARY:

Artificial Intelligence seems to be everywhere, from the agenda of world leaders to the limited series-style boardroom drama at OpenAI. Harvard Fellow, Paulo Carvão, discusses the challenges and importance of fair algorithms to ensure responsible and unbiased AI use.

Esteemed Harvard Law professor and civil rights lawyer, Charles Ogletree Jr., died on August 4, 2023. Former Transportation Secretary and Harvard ALI fellow, Rodney Slater, recalls Ogletree's remarkable career, including his role in the creation of Harvard's Advanced Leadership Initiative (ALI), and the Charles Ogletree Black ALI Association (COBALI).

OPINION COMMENTARY:

If you get pulled over, chances are you won't recall your rights due to the stress of dealing with the police. Anthony J. Mohr proposes a way to provide a rapid review of the dos and don'ts during traffic stops, potentially saving lives.

Small organizations can often provide the most effective approaches to helping youth who face serious barriers to employment. Andrew McKnight, Executive Director of The Challenge Program and CP Furniture, describes the advantages of being nimble and innovative, along with the realities and challenges of being a small nonprofit working with this population of youth.

OPINION COMMENTARY:

Achieving racial equity has gone beyond a moral imperative to become an economic imperative for this nation. Peter Williams explains how the Supreme Court’s decisions on affirmative action and student loan debt makes the problem worse.

OPINION COMMENTARY:

When the doors of college were reserved for whites only, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) gave African Americans the education they deserved and the strength to rise above bigotry. In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decisions that throttle affirmative action, 2021 Harvard ALI Fellow Terry Edmonds reminds us of the role HBCUs played in the past and the expanded role they may play now.

This week marks the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. The decision has had a devastating impact on women's health in the U.S. Cecile Richards, a national leader for women’s rights and social and economic justice and former President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund for 12 years, reflects on the decision, its impact, and an urgent path forward.

Elliot Davis, 2022 Harvard ALI Fellow and arts leader, examines the Embrace Memorial recently unveiled in Boston. Davis explores the historical significance, artistic elements, and controversies surrounding the monument.

SOCIAL EQUITY SERIES:

How can investing in gang members transform our communities? Michelle Caldeira and Mark Culliton discuss the counterintuitive approach that Uncornered takes to address violent crime.

SOCIAL EQUITY SERIES:

Closing the racial wealth gap is a generational challenge. Khamla Erskine, the executive sponsor of The Fellowship Initiative, details how JPMorgan Chase is bridging the divide, one community at a time.

Author, immigration reform advocate, and pro bono lawyer, Linda Dakin-Grimm, discusses how her faith influences her work and one of her many successful asylum cases reuniting a family from Guatemala separated at the U.S. border.

SOCIAL EQUITY SERIES:

How does a leading wire and cable manufacturer become a source of transformation for at-risk students? Burt Fealing from Southwire and Ethan Rouen from the Harvard Business School describe the 12 for Life program and how it has partnered with communities and achieved collective success.

SOCIAL EQUITY SERIES:

Police practices and racial bias remain joined in a tortured dance that many times leads to tragic consequences. How does creative and thoughtful leadership resolve this historical relationship and produce equitable and fair outcomes? Former Chief of Police Renée Hall discusses the continuing struggle to align effective police practices with meaningful solutions.

SOCIAL EQUITY SERIES:

OneGoal reimagines secondary educational support by visualizing not just what its students plan to achieve but also who they become on their educational journey. OneGoal’s leadership seeks not merely to change the educational support system, but to change how society views the gifts each student develops along the way.

As the nation pauses for our annual Martin Luther King Day celebration, Harvard Divinity School legend, Dr. Preston Williams is keeping Dr. King’s enduring legacy alive. After five decades of service to Harvard and a lifetime of service to humanity, Dr. Williams is hopeful about America’s racial future.

Eric Collins, founder of Impact X Capital and host of the UK The Money Maker, discusses how black entrepreneurship and business ownership is a pathway to black empowerment. He gives us his advice on how we can be disruptive visionaries and boldly create the world we want to see.

College completion drives economic outcomes for Black and Latinx students in the US. Students from vulnerable communities can realize their college goals with “right fit” educational experiences. Lesley Poole, CEO, and Vincena Allen, Chief Growth Officer, of The SEED Foundation discuss their approach to ensuring college success for underrepresented students.