What does it mean to be Black American on the campus of Harvard?

I think being Black American on the campus of Harvard is, that's a good question.

I feel like it's about acknowledging the privilege that you've been given and taking that and

doing the most with it in order to give back to the people at home and the people and

your ancestors that came before you.

Because to me, it's hard to reckon with the complicit nature of my presence here on campus

and being at such a historically white institution, one that has had so much ties to the history

of slavery and I think those identities are constantly in tension with one another.

So my answer is I'm honestly still figuring it out.

What it means to be a Black American here, I'm interested to see what my answer would be

as I leave this place, but that's as best as I can give you for right now.

Mariah Norman is a first year student at Harvard College.

I met her on campus where I've been doing a fellowship at the Kennedy Schools Institute

of Politics.

I've been teaching here for the last couple of months and it's been great.

I've gotten to meet a lot of amazing people, but by far, the biggest highlight has been

the students.

Students like Mariah and students like Efe and Kimani.

My name is Kimani Pantheer.

I am a sophomore here at the college and I'm originally from Long Island, New York.

I am a Caribbean American, I'm the son of two immigrants from migrated here seeking economic

opportunity.

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