Ready to Make a Difference…

The HKS BAA prioritizes building an energetic and collaborative alumni network, fostering meaningful connections between current students, alumni, faculty, and administrators, and delivering impactful programming around timely social, economic, and civic topics. These priorities align with the ideal upon which the original organization was founded in the 1980s—that HKS alumni are stronger together and that together, a committed group of talented, graduates can make a positive difference in the HKS community and the world. 

About Us

The Harvard Kennedy School Black Alumni Association (HKS BAA), is one of the Kennedy School’s many Shared Interest Groups (SIG) for alumni with specific interests and affinities. Started informally in the 1980s while the school was still known as the Kennedy School of Government (KSG), the organization was revitalized in 2009 and became an officially recognized Harvard Kennedy School SIG in 2016. The BAA aims to:

  • Deepen understanding among Harvard Kennedy School alumni of social, economic, justice, health, and civic issues facing Black communities in the United States and around the world while raising awareness of potential policies and strategies to make these societies more fair, just, and equitable.

  • Promote diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging and a culture of anti-racism at HKS and within the HKS community.

  • Strengthen connections and engagement of members with one another, current students, and HKS for mutual benefit and advancement.

  • Support and advance the HKS educational and public service mission.

 

2022/2023 Priorities

The HKS Black Alumni Association (BAA), Black alumni, and interested HKS alumni are well-positioned to organize, build, and manage the capacity and resources of the BAA.  Together we can achieve the following key objectives: 

  1. Improve Engagement of Black and Interested HKS Alumni in HKS and the broader Harvard community, particularly with respect to the activities of the HKS Alumni Board, the Harvard Alumni Association, and the Harvard Black Alumni Society.  

  1. Increase BAA Services and Programming that are specifically tailored to meet the needs and interests of Black HKS alumni and people of color, including panel discussions, conferences, publication of articles in Harvard media, and the establishment of a bi-annual HKS Black Alumni Reunion. 

  1. Strengthen BAA’s Partnerships with HKS Administration, Faculty, and Students, including the Dean’s Office, Alumni Relations and Resource Development, the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, the Office of Enrollment Services, and the HKS Black Student Organization. 

  1. Develop and Execute the BAA Plan for Action with an emphasis on our alumni-focused, school-based, and organizational enhancing priorities:

A.   Alumni-focused Priorities

  1. Develop opportunities to increase connections among Black and interested alumni

  2. Provide opportunities for resource sharing and thoughtful and informative dialogue among Black and interested alums

B.   School-based Priorities

  1. Develop closer working relationships with the Black Student Union and align efforts with the Black Policy Conference and the Harvard Journal of African American Public Policy

  2. Coordinate with the HKS administration on ongoing efforts to advance inclusion (i.e., student admissions, faculty hiring and retention) and anti-racism at HKS

  3. Participate in the HKS Alumni Reunion Planning Committee to organize/incorporate programming directly relevant to Black HKS alumni

          C.  Organizational-enhancing Priorities

  1. Refresh the HKS BAA website and other communication mechanisms

  2. Improve internal operations and finalize corporate formation matters

  3. Identify fundraising opportunities

These priorities are necessary, actionable, and achievable.