CLASSACT NEWS

This past April 19 marked 250 years since those first battles of the American Revolution erupted on Lexington Green and then spilled on to the road to Concord. That day Harvard alumni like Isaac Gardener, along with six College undergraduates, joined more than 4,000 other Massachusetts militiamen in the first armed rebellion against their British rulers’ efforts to stamp out protests in the thirteen colonies.

Reflecting on the bravery of those Minutemen in his “Concord Hymn”, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Class of 1821, wrote more than sixty years later:

Here once the embattled farmers stood,

And fired the shot heard round the world.

Celebrations of the founding of America and its democracy have already begun to ring out across the land. We at ClassACT HR73 join in that wish to keep alive the spirit and noblest principles of our founders, ideas like “liberty, justice and equality for all.”

DEMOCRACY @250

To honor our nation and our democracy, ClassACT HR73 has, for the first time, chosen a theme for the year: Democracy @250. We plan to explore this theme in our online forums, our monthly newsletter and in our ClassACTion Alerts throughout this sestercenntenial year.

Active citizenship has never been more important than it is today. We hear from many of you that you are looking for ways to take action to strengthen our democracy, its institutions, and the rights of citizens, and those who call this country home. We are proud of the work done by members of the Class of 1973 in polling stations, in court rooms, in classrooms and other places where democracy can be nurtured.

JOIN US!

We invite you to join ClassACT HR73 as a member of one of our working groups: Justice & Civic Engagement Environment and Climate Change Health and Healthcare Education (Forums and Webinars) Communications ClassACT Movement Our newest group, Culture, Arts and Humanities We need minds, hearts, and most importantly, folks who want to dig in, develop projects and then work collaboratively to get the job done. The efforts of ClassACT volunteers touch not only the Harvard community but also countless others who listen to our forums and webinars or benefit from the service of our 15 Bridges, the classmate-sponsored nonprofits that we often help advise. If you want to join one of these committees, please email us at classacthr73@gmail.com and let us know what group is of interest. One of the leaders will be in contact.

IT'S A MOVEMENT...

While our focus this year is on American democracy, our commitment to our international projects is ongoing and vital. We foster democracy across the globe through initiatives like our Benazir Bhutto Leadership Program and our support of the United Nations Association of Greater Boston.

Here at ClassACT we have understood from the start that in working together to create positive change, we can do more together than we can as individuals. Alumni from other Harvard classes can also join ClassACT HR73 to get help starting a ClassACT for their own class. In addition, please consider joining Crimson Courage, the group of Harvard alumni dedicated to supporting Harvard’s fight for academic freedom.

“It is not too late to Change the World!” So as the great African-American spiritual “Hold On” exhorts us to do: “keep your hand on the plow and hold on!”

REGISTER

Reproductive rights in this country are under threat. The overturning of Roe v Wade continues to erode the fundamental right to comprehensive reproductive care, especially for those who are pregnant - whether they suffer a miscarriage, seek to continue their pregnancy or terminate it. Recent changes to Medicaid policy excluding Planned Parenthood as a provider have exacerbated lack of access – effectively removing the right to choice for many people in underserved communities. A patchwork of conflicting state-specific policies and laws have created more confusion and inequities.

Our panelists will discuss how advocacy, education and litigation can help address these growing threats in our September forum, co-sponsored by JusticeAid, one of Class ACT’s oldest non-profit collaborating partners. The forum will take place on Sunday, September 28 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm EDT.

The panel will include Dr. Jamila Perritt, an obstetrician and gynecologist who is the President and CEO of Physicians for Reproductive Health, Karen Thompson, the Director of Litigation at Pregnancy Justice, JusticeAid's 2025 grantee-partner, and Dr. Jenna Tosh, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood California Central Coast. Dr. Vivian Lewis ’73, Professor Emerita of Ob/Gyn at the University of Rochester Medical Center, will be the moderator.

August 2025 ClassACTions Newsletter

Highlights Include:

-Wings of Hope Update - From Patty Potter '73

-Save the Date: 9/28 ClassACT Forum Reproductive Justice: Is Being Pregnant a Crime?

-Fall 2025 Bridge Webinars

-From Our Friends at Crimson Courage & the Phillips Brooks House Association

Read

If you missed the Freedom of the Press Forum ClassACT HR73 hosted on July 10th, we have you covered! You can watch an eight minute version or the full recording below (edited by Rick Brotman '73).

Read here

Highlights Include:

-SAVE THE DATE FOR July 10th: Press Freedom under Assault: Preserving our Democracy ClassACT Forum

-More than 12,000 Harvard Alumni Sign Historic Amicus Brief In Support Of Academic Freedom and Institutional Independence

-Environment and Climate Change Working Group Goes On the Road and Into Inboxes!

REGISTER

Wednesday, April 23rd, 7:00 - 7:45pm ET on ZOOM

Meet Our Bridges is ClassACT HR73’s way to introduce our classmates and extended community to our Bridge Partners by letting them create awareness of their mission as well as solicit volunteer help and/or donations.

This April, we feature the Cole Resource Center, an organization which offers custom guidance to those in our community who face mental health challenges: individuals living with mental health conditions and their family and friends. CRC’s free support services include referrals to resources, job coaching, and opportunities for open, stigma-free conversation. CRC staff share their lived experience and expertise as peers and allies in navigating the journey to healthy and productive living. Cole Resource Center President Ellen Faran ’73 will be joined by four of her CRC colleagues in introducing the work of this small nonprofit and discussing the unique value of non-clinical services in meeting today’s intense needs for mental health support.

REGISTER

As federal environmental laws and policies are being gutted, people fired and programs defunded, it is more important than ever for citizens to recognize their power and ability to enforce existing environmental laws. Citizen suits against private parties and suits to compel government officials to adhere to those laws can be an effective tool. Drawing on his extensive background as an attorney with US Fish and Wildlife, US Department of Justice, and the EPA, along with examples from his experience with the Potomac Riverkeeper, Defenders of Wildlife and Earthjustice, Bob Dreher '73 will talk about the role that citizens can play in the enforcement of environmental laws. He will also describe the origin of citizen suit provisions and the constraints that apply to citizen plaintiffs. After his talk, there will be time for questions and discussion.

REGISTER

This is an especially consequential and timely topic given current levels of vaccine hesitancy and shifting vaccine requirements in the United States. We plan to cover crucial impacts – past, present and future – of vaccines; technologies for developing even more effective, quick-to-market vaccines; new ways to expand vaccine supplies and increase availability; and encouraging vaccine acceptance and trust through better communication about the science of vaccines.

This forum will be moderated by Jonathan “Jono” Quick ’73, MD, MPH, Adjunct Professor of Global Health at Duke Global Health Institutes. Our panel of experts includes Joseph Martin ’73, Ph.D, Research Fellow, Pfizer Bioprocess R&D, Pharmaceutical Sciences (Retired), Pfizer Global Research and Development; Maria Elena Bottazzi, Ph.D, Co-Director, Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Baylor College of Medicine; Francis S. Collins, MD, Ph.D, NIH Distinguished Investigator, National Human Genome Research Institute and Former Director, National Institutes of Health; Heather Lanthorn, Assistant Director, Research and Programs, Duke Global Health Innovation Center; and Michael T. Osterholm, Ph.D, MPH, Director, Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, University of Minnesota.

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Fun was had by all on the evening before Valentine’s Day as close to 70 classmates gathered online to celebrate the 10th Birthday Bash of ClassACT HR73. 

Attendees were able to share their opinions on a variety of topics in six virtual breakout rooms. These rooms were cleverly identified by the nostalgia of our days in Cambridge. The rooms included: Elsie’s (fine dining, cooking, entertaining); The Fogg Art Museum (Fine Art); The COOP (Literature); Brattle Theater (theater, film, television, and streaming; Charles River (Leisure Activities); and Soldier’s Field (Sports). People hopped from one breakout room to another, so we are in the process of compiling a summary of recommendations (ie. books, restaurants, museums, etc.) to share with all the participants. The positive reactions and responses point to future class get togethers, and we include some of the resources we received in the chat above! They include books, movies, recipes, and theatre recommendations.