Dear Black Harvard, Class of 2028

To the Black students of the newly admitted class of 2028: Congratulations!

Seriously, congratulations.

You may hear that word a lot from your family and friends. Still, I have not experienced many moments on campus where the difficulty and achievement of getting into this school as a Black student is acknowledged.

As much as you might want to teleport to freshman fall as fast as possible, try to live in the moment. Take the next few months easy. You’ll soon find that feeling pressured into ultra-productivity here is not uncommon. Things can get competitive and exclusive real quickly, so I urge you to celebrate and take pride in your acceptance.

I’m not going to harp again on the constant discourse around affirmative action, but I do want you to know this: You belong here. You deserve to be here. This school is yours as much as it is any other student’s.

Though I believe the suggestions in this piece will be valuable to the next class of Black students, take them with a grain of salt; I can only speak to the experiences of myself and those around me.

For starters, be prepared to be in the public eye. It is clear that people outside of our campus, unrelated to me or you, will still — for one reason or another — focus more on us because we go to Harvard and our skin is black.

Because of this, you might already be worried that embracing your racial identity at Harvard is draining. Admittedly, I was unprepared for this unique year, but I have found myself leaning further into the Black community when our value is contested.

I have learned to separate the narratives in the media from our community’s worth. No wannabe social media demagogue or leering legislator gets to dictate your value for you.

But while the Black community is often a source of support, don’t expect the administration to go out of their way for Black students. I cannot say that I was surprised by their prolonged and unresponsive process of addressing Black demands after a terrible swatting incident last year.

The reality is, I don’t believe Black student life is a priority for the Harvard administration. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a priority for Black students.

Frustration with the administration is no new obstacle. Black Harvard has a proud history of activism, and it is incredibly special to learn about that history. From campus civil rights activism, to the Legacy of Slavery Report, to the creation of an African American studies department, students have shown and embraced that being Black at Harvard is inherently political and, often, they’ve succeeded.

In my African American Studies tutorial, I have relished the opportunity to explore the Harvard archives, engaging with old posters and newspaper clippings from events like the 1972 student occupation of Massachusetts Hall, the office of the University’s president.

Like those who came before you, I urge you be an engaged member of the community and challenge the institution when you feel overlooked. With that said, there is a delicate balance between engagement and burnout. Remember to take it in, take things slow, and take care of yourself first and foremost.

But taking care of yourself can be hard here, too. The pressure to be productive combined with difficulties accessing school-provided mental health support, especially Black providers, is not easy. Again, however, students pull through for each other: There is an extensive network of peer counseling groups on campus. Groups like Room 13, ECHO, Indigo, and more are always available as a resource, and I encourage you to try them if you are feeling alone on campus.

That was a lot, I know. But Harvard is more than a dream for you now — it’s a reality, and you deserve some honest thoughts.

Two years after my Visitas experience, I cannot imagine myself anywhere else. This Visitas, I hope you appreciate how truly special you are — and how special your Black experience on our campus will be.

Zion J. Dixon ’26, a Crimson Editorial editor, is a joint concentrator in History and Literature and African and African American Studies in Winthrop House.