How Africa
Harvard Crimson, the school newspaper of the prestigious university, has elected its first Black female president for the 2018–2019 school year.
Kristine E. Gillaume, a junior who studies African-American studies, history and literature, will run the Crimson, which is the country’s oldest continuously published daily newspaper. Founded in 1873, past editors include Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy.
“If my election has validated anyone’s experience or validated anyone’s belonging in Crimson, then my hard work will be worth it and will continue to be worth it,” Guillaume said.
The Queens, New York, native has served as one of the paper’s central administration reporters, during which time she interviewed two university presidents. She also co-chairs the paper’s Diversity and Inclusivity Committee.
“At Harvard you’re in a space that was made for white men, so if you’re not the cookie-cutter white man who Harvard was built for, it can be difficult to navigate being here,” she said.
“I want people to think about how to navigate, and feel like they can and get through their education and feel like they do belong here. That’s a big thing for me.”
Kristine will take over from current president Derek G. Xiao and during her role as president, will lead the over 300 staff members in keeping the legacy of the newspaper while working hard to identify and solve issues in the ever-growing media space to benefit the newspaper in the long run.
Kristine E. Guillaume is the daughter of immigrants who are both doctors. As the daughter of a Chinese mother and Haitian father, Kristine has seen for herself and experienced the issues of racial and gender barriers that affect black people and people of other races in the USA.
In an interview with the Boston Globe, Kristine, who is just 20 years old admitted that “It does make me feel weird that we’re still doing firsts,” “It’s about time. I’m nervous but excited. It’s a huge responsibility, and honestly, it doesn’t feel real that I actually have the opportunity.”
She went on to say that “Harvard is a very white, very male space.” It’s hard for many students of marginalized backgrounds, for women of color particularly, to navigate their way through these institutional spaces.
Through her genuine love for writing, Kristine has managed to rise from her first writing gig covering a campus talk by former Florida governor Jeb Bush to becoming the president of the school newspaper and her personal duty is to increase the staff diversity.
The reality is a dream come true for Kristine who’s longtime fantasy was to attend Harvard and also join the Harvard Crimson in an attempt to increase diversity. Describing her dream school in her own words, Kristine said: “At Harvard, you’re in a space that was made for white men, so if you’re not the cookie-cutter white man who Harvard was built for, it can be difficult to navigate being here.”
The outgoing president and all the newspaper staff seem to have enough confidence in Kristine as she takes on the prestigious but very demanding role and they are ready to give her any kind of support she needs to make an impact and leave a legacy for other black students especially women to draw inspiration from.
Guillaume to Lead The Crimson’s 146th Guard https://t.co/DdOrayvDK4
— The Harvard Crimson (@thecrimson) November 13, 2018
On November 13, the Harvard Crimson took to Twitter to make the announcement which was linked to an article available on their site that touched on the history Kristine has made, its significance and the successes of the young and enthusiastic newly elected 146th Guard of The Harvard Crimson.
