Harvard honored by Cambridge NAACP

The Cambridge NAACP honored Harvard University at the 2017 Annual MLK Breakfast for its leadership in efforts to promote educational and social equality.

Receiving the award for the University, Thomas Lucey of Harvard Public Affairs and Communications (HPAC), said, “I am honored to accept this on behalf of so many of my colleagues at Harvard University who are dedicated to this endeavor. Members of the Harvard community are passionate about addressing inequality in many aspects of life for local residents; from helping all public school students achieve academic excellence, to enabling the creation and preservation of affordable housing, to working to ensure a greener, healthier future for all residents, to our extensive community partnerships with local non-profit social service agencies that enhance the quality of life for so many in this great city – Harvard’s commitment to its host communities is making a difference for Cambridge residents.”

More than 250 people attended the annual gathering at St. Paul A.M.E. Church in Cambridge. Leaders from the NAACP spoke, as did Cambridge Mayor Denise Simmons and U.S. Representative Joseph P. Kennedy III.

Lucey has been at Harvard since 2003. He and his colleagues in HPAC collaborate with government and community leaders to advance mutually beneficial public policy objectives and improve the welfare of both Harvard and its host communities.