February 28, 2019—During Black History Month, plasma screens throughout Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health shared a special slideshow honoring 11 black alumni from recent decades, including Wanda Barfield, MPH ’90, a rear admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service and director of the Division of Reproductive Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Dean Michelle A. Williams, SM’86, SD’91. It was presented by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) as a follow-up to a 2017 archives project that identified the School’s first black students.
These projects are part of ODI’s efforts to share the stories of individuals from historically marginalized communities, said Senior Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Manager Zennon Black. “We looked at what we could do to preserve the legacy of people who have walked these halls in a way that would respect and honor them.”
ODI received a list of names of black alumni from the Office of Alumni Affairs and invited individuals to submit a photo and biographical information to a “digital yearbook.” Black said that ODI hopes to continue adding to the project.
“People felt humbled and respected that we would be honoring them,” Black said. “There was an excitement in reconnecting to a University that they cared a lot about.”
“I am delighted to be part of this distinguished group of Harvard Chan School alumni,” Williams said. “Projects like this showcase our School’s rich history and help to make us a more inclusive and welcoming community.”
Members of the School community have responded very positively to the project, Black said. He received numerous emails from people who said they stopped to watch all of the slides, and walked away feeling a debt of gratitude to these trailblazing alumni.
Betty Johnson, assistant dean for faculty and staff diversity, development and leadership, hopes that people also come away from viewing the photos with a sense of pride in the subjects’ accomplishments, and of identification. She said, “Students can say, ‘Maybe they had some of the same experiences I’m having.’”
Harvard Chan School’s black alumni are a small but powerful community, said Wendy Jill McRae-Owoeye, dean for diversity, inclusion, and belonging. “My hope is that through this project, as we talk more and more about inclusivity, we can learn about one another, and see ourselves in one another’s shoes and stories. By better understanding our community, we can build a stronger foundation for inclusivity.”
Image: Office of Diversity and Inclusion