HBS Action Plan for Racial Equity

23 Sep 2020

HBS Action Plan for Racial Equity

Re: Janice H. Hammond (Jesse Philips Professor of Manufacturing); Nitin Nohria (George Fisher Baker Jr. Professor of Business Administration Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor); Jan W. Rivkin (C. Roland Christensen Professor of Business Administration)

Topics: News-School News Society-Social Issues Systems-Equality and Inequality

This week, Dean Nohria shared the School’s Action Plan for Racial Equity in a letter to the HBS community.

“The horrifying murder of George Floyd, and an all too long history of similar injustices, has spurred our collective awakening to the grave and continuing systemic racism in the United States that creates unacceptable, even dire inequities for our Black community members,” writes Nohria. “This moment has made urgently clear that the School must redouble its commitment to combat racism—and anti-Black racism in particular—to create meaningful and enduring change that will enable every member of our community to thrive.”

The plan was crafted by a 25-member task force made of HBS faculty, staff, students, and alumni, and co-chaired by Chief Information Officer Ron Chandler, Senior Associate Dean for Community and Culture Jan Hammond, and Senior Associate Dean and MBA Program Chair Jan Rivkin. “The plan is a really important step in what now has to be a sustained effort.” Chandler said. “I’ve seen firsthand the passion of our community for this work on racial equity. There is real recognition that we all own this.”

“The big key for us is expanding the pool of talented Black individuals who apply,” Rivkin told The Wall Street Journal. “Reducing financial barriers is key. It increases financial aid to families that have historically been unable to accumulate wealth over generations and therefore struggled to send their kids to grad school.”

A release from the School noted that Dean Nohria has committed $25 million over the next 10 years to the plan—and that the School will seek additional support from donors to sustain the plan over time. “To be true to our mission,” said Dean Nohria, “we must enlist the full spectrum of human talent and educate leaders who will make the most of the differences that enrich us individually, and societies globally.”