Black Policy Conference at The Harvard Kennedy School

Over the past six years, the Black Policy Conference has grown into a leading policy-driven forum addressing issues that affect communities within Africa and the African Diaspora at large. Past participants include Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick; Dr. Michael Eric Dyson; Susan L. Taylor, Emeritus Editor of Essence Magazine and Founder of the National CARES Mentoring Movement, Congresswoman Donna Edwards; Congressman Bennie Thompson, and many more.

This year’s conference, “A Call to Action: Empowering the Individual and Mobilizing the Collective,” celebrates the long recognized reality that throughout our history, black people around the world have been revered as people of action. Motivated by a hunger for justice and equality, and inspired by those who came before, generations of ordinary citizens and black leaders alike hailing from Harlem to Havana to Harare have worked together to accomplish formidable challenges. Last year’s keynote speakers emphasized that even with the historic success of the 2008 presidential election, we must recognize that the issues faced by black people today call for as much—if not more—civic participation and community engagement than ever.

Hence, this year’s Black Policy Conference will focus on the crossroads between policy and action. We will discuss the inherent value and power of the actions of individual citizens, while also hearing from policymakers, practitioners and community leaders who are inspiring collective action. It is our hope that we will encourage participants to return home and reinvigorate service and organizing efforts at every level—from the individual to the collective, through policy and practice, both locally and abroad.

We welcome you to explore the plans for this year’s conference in greater detail on this website, and to join us at the Kennedy School this April!

Sincerely,

Rasheba Johnson, Co-Chair
Naima Green, Co-Chair
Akilah Robinson, Vice Chair of Marketing and Outreach
Ozzie Smith, Vice Chair of Management and Logistics

Photography by Jonathan Ortiz, www.outerfocusphotography.com