Black Men Rise: Noah Harris, Becomes Harvard’s First Black Student Body President

Full BHM Virtual Series Lineup!

A true example of Black Boy Joy!

Noah Harris has made history at Harvard University by becoming the first black student body president in the school’s 384-year history.

For the first time in more than three centuries, students at Harvard have elected a Black man as president of the Undergraduate Council. https://t.co/3FajDySFLk #Harvard #NoahHarris

— AprilDRyan (@AprilDRyan) November 25, 2020

The Hattiesburg, Mississippi native recalls the moment he received his acceptance letter from the prestigious school while in the middle of his high school basketball game.

“I knew I wouldn’t be able to know if would be accepted until after the game was over, which was agonizing. I played all right, but my mind was somewhere else- on the admissions- as you can imagine. We ended up winning.”

During his freshman year at Harvard, Harris ran for student government, having been the student body president of his high school.

“The first-year elections are super competitive and normally deter people from running because there are four first-year ‘yards’ and each yard gets three spots.”

Noah Harris, a 20-year-old from Hattiesburg, Miss., has become the first Black man to be elected student body president at Harvard University. https://t.co/MYKbCxS4oa pic.twitter.com/6DPCdgXizd

— Jackson Free Press (@JxnFreePress) November 23, 2020

By his junior year, Harris decided to run for student body president as a way to “move Harvard forward in a significant way,” but running came with its set of challenges.

Harris, along with running mate, Jenny Gan used their platform to take on several issues that were affecting other students.

Harvard Gets Its First Ever Black Student Union President

20-year-old Noah Harris from Mississippi has become the first Black, elected student body president at Harvard University. #Havard #NoahHarris https://t.co/rYEqrbdMfj pic.twitter.com/XdTGt3mOwl

— flashinfong (@flashinfong) November 27, 2020

Harris had a hand in bringing social movements to the forefront. He attended Black Live Matter protests and has also raised $300,000 for civil rights organizations and Black advocacy.

After making history, Harris said “We were so grateful and soon after that, realizing that we had made history made that moment even more profound as well. It wasn’t something that we went around telling people, ‘Hey if you vote for us, you’ll be electing me first Black man student body President.”

He continued, “But making history was special, especially in this year of all these racial injustices and police brutality and people being taken from our communities way too soon. For the Harvard student body to elect its first Black man in that way was just so special and something that I’m honored to be a part of.”

Harris has plans to attend law school and become a courtroom attorney after he earns his bachelor’s degree.