Webinars Connect Black Alumni Taking Leadership in Turbulent Times

Against the backdrop of a global pandemic, a shaky economy, and racial unrest across the country, the HBS African-American Alumni Association (HBSAAA) has quickly developed a series of online webinars to engage Black alumni in discussions on leadership, social justice, and finding a way forward.

San Francisco mayor London Breed (photo by Drew Altizer)

San Francisco mayor London Breed (photo by Drew Altizer)

On July 1, the club welcomed 50 alumni to a dynamic webinar featuring London Breed, the mayor of San Francisco, about leading her city through these turbulent times.

The webinar, “Black Mayors on the Front Lines: A Conversation with Mayor London Breed,” was moderated by Michelle Miller, the news anchor of CBS This Morning Saturday, and covered a range of issues, including how Breed has handled the pandemic, the protests for police reform, and economic concerns.

“The conversation was very interesting,” says club board member Jacqueline Adams (MBA 1978). “Mayor Breed is so dynamic, passionate, and hopeful. She talked about her response to the pandemic. San Francisco was the first city in California to shut down. She had been working closely with epidemiologists early on. San Francisco is the second densest city in the US, and while no one wants to see a complete shutdown, she said it was troubling to see the numbers going up.”

Breed shared that she “of course worries about the economy, but was glad she was able to curb the infection rate.” The city, she added, also received $30 million in federal loans for small business as well as food and rent assistance. Under her leadership, the homeless have been tested and moved to hotels, and jail populations have been reduced to minimize viral spread.

“She also talked about the protests and policing,” says Adams. “She said when she had worked on the city’s board of supervisors prior to becoming mayor, they eliminated the chokehold. She said it was not easy, but a start. And now the police are willing to work with the city on reforms.”

Breed told the group her goal is to protect the public and the police. “She said growing up in public housing helped prepare her for these times, and she’s very hopeful for the future,” says Adams. “She believes that people genuinely care about ending racism and making a difference.”

After Breed and Miller talked, the webinar was opened to questions, and Adams says many alumni shared their concerns about racial unrest and the lack of leadership as well as their own ideas for moving forward, including encouraging each other to vote, participating in the census, and actively working on education reform.

To continue helping alumni connect with each other in this moment in history, the HBSAAA will continue to offer a wide range of online conversations, with topics like meditation for coping during uncertain times, the business of gospel music, and advice for raising Black children.

“The club has new energy, new leadership, and a new urgency to connect, share, and support each other,” says Adams. “This is content you’re not going to get elsewhere. We have speakers you may not hear in other venues. We want to provide an edge for our alumni members with information that makes you more effective, no matter what life stage you’re in. Our goal is to create direct, measureable impacts from our programming, and in these times, we’re moving quickly.”

HBS Club of New York Creates Racial Equity Task Force

The HBS Club of New York (HBSCNY) has formed a Racial Equity Task Force aimed at fostering an actively anti-racist culture both in and outside the organization. The move comes as a direct response to Dean Nitin Nohria’s recent pledge that HBS would make more urgent progress toward being actively anti-racist, and immediately begin developing an action plan for the fall term.

“The club acknowledges the critical and urgent need to improve its diversity and inclusion, and its unique potential for driving meaningful impact in both its communities and the organizations in which its members lead, govern, and serve,” say club board members and task force co-chairs Hemali Dassani (MBA 1999) and Craig Robinson (MBA 2002).

“We recognize and embrace the unique influence and responsibility we have as the largest HBS alumni community globally. We also approach this critical initiative with deep humility and appreciation for the complexities and significance of our objectives. As a result, we are committed to listening and learning from our diverse members and community stakeholders. We are eager to tap into the creativity, passion, and innovation of club volunteers who will ultimately help us craft meaningful recommendations the club can implement and sustain. And, finally, understanding that a diverse and inclusive club benefits everyone, we are committed to collaborating and engaging all club members who seek a more just and fair society. Since our founding 100 years ago as an alumni community in New York City, HBS alumni have been thoughtful leaders and voices of companies, organizations, and movements dedicated to improving the world around us. The next 100 years will be no different. This moment marks the beginning of a movement in our nation, and we are honored to help our club shape its unique role.”

Rebooted LGBT Alumni Club Celebrates Pride with Reflections on Life at HBS

The HBS LGBT Alumni Association marked Pride Month with “Reflections on HBS LGBT Student Life on Campus,” a virtual roundtable featuring three alumni representing three very different eras at HBS—1986, 2006, and 2020. The June 24 event attracted more than 20 attendees, who shared and compared their varied experiences of being gay at HBS.

“It was like an oral history,” says club copresident Allen Yang (MBA 2016). “There was a ton of discussion. So many people were moved by the topic, and would chime in with their own funny stories. The arc of their experiences over time was really powerful, and a fun way to celebrate Pride in this virtual way. We had some of the folks from the earlier years—the 1970s—who loved hearing how much progress has been made at HBS since then. The conversation also explored what might be next and what challenges LGBT students and alumni might face. I was humbled by this conversation. It was very powerful and very well received.”

Julia Rocco (PLDA 24), club copresident, added that conversation was encouraging for her, as many people expressed a lot of optimism for the LGBT community at HBS.

“I wasn’t aware of anyone in my class being LGBT, but that could have been because my Executive Education program had a lot of students from other countries where they couldn’t be out,” says Rocco. “We have to rely on people to self-identify. While the student LGBT club is very active currently, among older generations of HBS students, maybe only a handful of individuals may have been out.”

Yang and Rocco recently took on the task of rebooting the LGBTAA and were about to kick off large social events in four cities in the spring, when COVID-19 forced them to pivot to online programming.

“We offered several ‘Get to Know You’ Zoom chats, where members signed up for small-group virtual gatherings,” says Yang. “They were well attended and we’ve offered at least 10 chats so far with between 4 and 10 people each. People really love the fact that they can meet members from other class years and cities and find common interests. We’ve had lots of positive feedback.”

The club also hosted a virtual fireside chat called “Forming a Family,” where the 10 attendees were able to ask an alumni panel about their experiences with adoption and surrogacy.

“I’m very excited the club was rebooted,” says Rocco. “Some alumni weren’t out while on campus, and we’re hoping to build a vibrant community of HBS alumni to help educate and inspire and empower LGBT alums around the world, while fostering relations with the school as well.”

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