Debate, Debrief, and Dessert: The Role of Diversity in Higher Education and American Life

JFK Jr. Forum, Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School
79 John F. Kennedy St.
Cambridge
Tue., Sep. 22, 2026, 6 – 7:30 p.m.



In a conversation moderated by Washington Post reporter Laura Meckler, Prof. Cornell William Brooks, HKS Hauser Professor of the Practice of Nonprofit Organizations and 18th President and CEO of the NAACP, will sit down with Dr. Kevin Roberts, President of the Heritage Foundation and a key architect of the “Project 2025” presidential transition blueprint, to debate the role of diversity in higher education and American life more broadly.

Following the conversation, Julia Minson, HKS Professor of Public Policy and author of How to Disagree Better, will lead the audience in a facilitated debrief of how the session unfolded.

Debate, Debrief, and Dessert is an HKS series that explores competing perspectives on pressing policy issues and seeks to strengthen the Harvard community’s capacity to engage in respectful, substantive dialogue across differences.

Please register with a valid Harvard email address to attend in-person. The debate portion of this event will be publicly livestreamed on our YouTube channel.

Online Location: ken.sc…
Gazette Classification: Diversity and Inclusion, Education, Special Events
Organization/Sponsor: Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School, Dean's Office at Harvard Kennedy School
Speaker(s): Cornell William Brooks , Hauser Professor of the Practice of Nonprofit Organizations; Professor of the Practice of Public Leadership and Social Justice, Harvard Kennedy School, Dr. Kevin Roberts , President, Heritage Foundation, Laura Meckler (Moderator), Reporter, Washington Post, Julia Minson , Professor of Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School and author of How to Disagree Better
Cost: Free
Ticket Web Link: iop.harvard.edu…
Contact Info: [email protected]
Harvard Key Required: No
More info: iop.harvard.edu…