African Americans at Harvard

When the first African American man graduated in 1870, the struggle for equal rights at Harvard was hardly over. Hidden on the campus of America’s oldest institution of higher learning are hints and subtle remainders of the African American story in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

From the oppressive condition of enslavement, the African American community now claims 12% enrollment in the undergraduate population. On the frontline of the fight for equal education, the concept of equal rights and integration varied in popularity amongst Harvard’s student body throughout its 380-year history. We view this tour as an opportunity to enlighten the public as to the stories of those whom the history books have not yet covered.