Claudine Gay Will Make History As Harvard’s First-Ever Black President

Harvard just named its first Black president in the school’s 386-year history.

According to NBC News, Harvard announced Thursday (December 15) that Claudine Gay will serve as the ivy league’s 30th president beginning July 1. Her appointment comes after Lawrence Bacow stepped down as president, citing that he wanted to spend more time with his family.

“Claudine is a remarkable leader who is profoundly devoted to sustaining and enhancing Harvard’s academic excellence, to championing both the value and the values of higher education and research, to expanding opportunity, and to strengthening Harvard as a fount of ideas and a force for good in the world,” Penny Pritzker, senior fellow of the Harvard Corporation and chair of Harvard’s presidential search committee, said in a statement.

Gay will make history as Harvard’s first Black president, and she is only the second woman to hold the position. She is set to be the only Black president currently in the Ivy League and the second Black woman ever.

Her early challenges as president may include fallout from the Supreme Court’s review of affirmative action. SCOTUS Justices are weighing challenges to admission processes at Harvard and the University of North Carolina.

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