As Black History Month gets underway, we want to take a

moment to highlight some of the work Harvard Kennedy School students, faculty, and staff are doing

to fight for racial justice. Continue to visit the blog for additional

posts throughout the remainder of February.

ATTEND: Upcoming Events

How the Tax System Impoverishes Black Americans and How

We Can Fix It
Thursday, February 10, 2022 | 6-7 p.m. ET | Register

Join the Institutional Antiracism and Accountability (IARA)

Project at the Ash Center in the virtual JFK Jr. Forum for a discussion about

how the American tax system rewards white people while further exploiting and

harming Black people’s economic realities. Dorothy Brown, Asa Griggs Candler

Professor of Law, Emory University, author of “The Whiteness of Wealth: How the

Tax System Impoverishes Black Americans—and How We Can Fix It” will be joined

in discussion by moderator Mehrsa Baradaran, author of “The Color of Money:

Black Banks and the Racial Wealth Gap,” and Professor of Law, University of

California Irvine.

WATCH: Previous Events & Speakers

Necessary Trouble: A Conversation on the Life and Legacy

of Congressman John Lewis

On the 35th anniversary of John Lewis’ first congressional

electoral victory, the Anti-Racism Policy Journal hosted a panel

discussion with former Lewis Chief of Staff Michael Collins, director Dawn

Porter, and activist Elmyra Gray Powell, on the life and legacy of Congressman

Lewis and the future of anti-racism work in America.

Reckoning with the Past, Rebuilding The Future

The

Institutional Antiracism and Accountability Project at the Ash Center (IARA)

hosted a panel discussion with writer and Professor Ibram Kendi and

political commentator and strategist Heather McGee, moderated by IARA Director

and HKS Professor Khalil Muhammad. They discuss what has been done and what

remains to be done a year after many promises of institutional change. 

READ: HKS Student Journal Articles

The Anti-Racism Policy Journal (ARPJ) is the first of

its kind across policy schools. It explores the intersection of anti-racism and

policy, the history of race and colonialism (and their impacts on modern

policymaking), visions for a just and equitable future, and commentary,

analysis and perspective from thought leaders and subject matter experts. Read

select articles from the ARPJ and other policy journals at HKS.

• Antiracism in Philanthropy: The Anti-Racism Policy Journal

  published this report by Benjamin Abtan (MC/MPA ‘20), Founder of Towards

  Antiracism Now LLC, discussing the current state and opportunities for

  antiracism in philanthropy. 

• The

  Revolution Must Not Be Gaslighted: In the Harvard

  Kennedy School Review, Kadijatou (Kadija) Diallo, a Master of Public Policy

  candidate, explains gaslighting in a racial context and outlines three ways we

  can prevent the gaslighting of Black people. 

• Anti-Blackness

  in Policy Making: The Harvard Kennedy School Journal of

  African American Policy’s 2019-2020 volume provides examples of how racism of

  the past has transformed and is still present today in the United States of

  America.

• Journal

  of African American Policy: The latest edition of the

  journal includes student contributions of the topics of vaccine equity, closing

  racial wealth gaps, school systems and black youth, prison abolition, and more.