Now Kristine E. Guillaume will lead The Crimson’s “146th guard,” making her the third black president and first black woman to helm the organization since its founding in 1873.

The college and, by extension, The Crimson have long served as pipelines to the American establishment, but both have struggled to become more diverse.

“If my being elected to The Crimson presidency as the first black woman affirms anyone’s sense of belonging at Harvard, then that will continue to affirm the work that I’m doing,” Guillaume said as she was preparing to visit her parents in New York City for Thanksgiving.

The position of Crimson president holds an almost mythical place in journalism. Author Cleveland Amory, who held the job in the 1930s, famously said that “once you had been president of The Harvard Crimson in your senior year at Harvard there was very little, in after life, for you.”

Nearly 40 of Guillaume’s peers at the paper had deliberated over who would get the job in a grueling, monthslong process — known as the “Turkey Shoot” — that can be rife with political allegiances and backstabbing. She said she was appreciative of the heft of the position, and hoped to lift up different types of journalistic voices and perspectives.

“It’s your job, no matter what stage of leadership, to make sure you are imparting knowledge to younger writers, but also reporting on things especially pertinent in today’s climate with cultural sensitivity,” Guillaume said.

Guillaume said she planned to pursue a doctorate in African-American studies and a career in academia, with some writing on the side.

The New York Times

Amy Chozick © 2018 The New York Times