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HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE

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  • March 13, 2024 11:59 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Written by Marilyn Go (voting) and Vivian Lewis (reproductive freedom);

    Edited by Jim Harbison and Jacki Swearingen

    Although frequently described as a bellwether state, Michigan had also held the dubious reputation of being one of the most gerrymandered states in the country.[1] However, since 2018, Michigan has been in the forefront of protecting voter rights, as well as reproductive freedom. As discussed below, after voters established an independent redistricting commission, Michigan joined three other states in attempting to end partisan gerrymandering and create competitive elections with the drawing of fair maps.  

    Demographics. Michigan has experienced slow growth since its heyday as the automotive capital of the United States after World War II. After the 2010 Census reported that the state population had decreased from the prior Census, Michigan 's population then grew by less than 2% the following decade. With a population of 10,077,331, as reported in the 2020 Census, Michigan's rank dropped from eighth to tenth most populous state in the country. The population of Michigan has been predominantly Non-Hispanic White, at 76.67%, but the number and percentage of this group has been declining the past few decades. In 2022, the percentage of NH Whites was 74%., while the percentage of Blacks was 14.1%, Hispanic 5.7%, and Asians 3.5%. 

    However, Census classifications may be too general to capture the diversity within certain groups. Michigan is home to an estimated 400,000 to 490,000 Arabs, a widely varying estimate since Arabs are not separately counted by the Census Bureau. Arab voters are concentrated in major cities and have a voice in Michigan politics.  In 2018, Rashida Tlaib, from the Detroit area, became the first Palestinian American elected to Congress and in 2021, voters in Dearborn, which is over 40% Arab, elected their first Arab (Lebanese American) mayor. In Michigan’s recent Presidential primary election, over 100,000 voters selected "Uncommitted" to express opposition to President Biden's handling of the Gaza conflict.

    Independent Redistricting Commission.  In 2018, Michigan voters passed, with over 61% of the vote, a ballot initiative approving a constitutional amendment establishing an independent redistricting commission to redraw congressional and state legislative districts. The 13-member Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting (MICR) Commission that was created consists of four Democrats, four Republicans and five independents randomly selected from 9,300 voters who had applied.[2] 

    After completion of the 2020 United States Census, the MICR released draft-proposed Congressional maps in December 2021, which the MICR approved with a vote of 8 to 5 and, later, added approved state legislative maps. The Congressional maps drawn by the MICR were hailed by many as being fair, creating more competition, and no longer heavily favoring Republicans. The Republicans, who had controlled redistricting after the 2010 Census, had previously drawn maps with "impregnable majorities”in the Legislature. Michigan is one of four states to create a truly nonpartisan independent commission to draw Congressional maps in 2022. California, Arizona, and Colorado are the others. 

    Federal Court Challenge to Maps Drawn. However, shortly after release of the maps, a group of Black Michigan voters filed a federal lawsuit in 2022 claiming that the Congressional maps violated both the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act. The plaintiffs asserted that  various legislative districts in and around Detroit were racial gerrymanders and diluted Black voting strength by eliminating or greatly diminishing the majority-minority districts there.  

    On December 21, 2023, the three-judge court that was convened to hear the case agreed with the plaintiffs. The Court found that the record "overwhelmingly" showed that the MICR drew the "plaintiffs’ districts predominantly on the basis of race" in a manner which violated the plaintiffs' rights under the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The three-judge court similarly found in a related case that maps for more than a dozen Michigan state House and Senate districts around metro Detroit violated the U.S. Constitution by splitting Detroit into districts combined with whiter suburbs. The court enjoined the use of the districts as drawn and directed that new maps be drawn, released for public comment, and submitted to the Court for review by March 1, 2024.[3] The state's application for stay was denied by the Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh on January 22, 2024. 

    New maps have been submitted in accordance with the schedule set and are now before the court and its experts for review.   

    The need to have maps redrawn is troubling. As recounted in the December 21 decision, the Commissioners simply failed to understand the requirements of the Voting Rights Act. That  should not have happened and could have easily been avoided.In addition, two of the Commissioners resigned prior to completion of their duties, because they lived outside of the state; this is a straightforward matter that should have been disclosed and uncovered prior to the time they assumed their positions. 

    Michigan’s experience shows how an independent nonpartisan redistricting commission can end partisan gerrymandering and create competitive electoral races by drawing fair maps.  However, the pending lawsuits over redistricting illustrate the complexities of redistricting and the many different interests that must be considered in drawing maps. Concerns over partisan gerrymandering cannot supersede legal obligations under the Voting Rights Act, which ensures that historically politically disadvantaged groups have representation. 

    Other Voting Legislation. This past November, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed into law a series of election bills to increase voter participation and provide for broader access. One measure to expand voter registration included expansion of automatic voter registration to incarcerated people after their release. Michigan had already previously allowed people with felony convictions to regain their voting rights once they're out of prison.

    The state legislature also passed bills designed to prevent "chaos," particularly in the event of disputed elections. Among other things, these laws criminalize poll worker intimidation, regulate political ads that use artificial intelligence and tighten the election certification process that former President Trump tried to disrupt following his 2020 election loss.

    Political Landscape of Michigan. Michigan is considered a competitive battleground state in Presidential elections.  The Democratic Presidential candidate has, since 1992, prevailed in Michigan, except in 2016 when former President Trump won with a small margin of 11,000.  Although President Biden defeated Trump in 2020 by a larger margin, he prevailed by making inroads in the suburbs, adding to his advantage in the cities, which are traditional Democratic strongholds.

    As a result of a less than two percent increase in population since the 2010 census, as compared to the average 8% increase nationwide, Michigan lost one seat in Congress and will now have 13 Representatives. This was the fifth consecutive time that Michigan lost a House seat following a Census, a change accompanying the shrinkage of the automotive industry there and decentralization in the manufacture of automotive accessories and parts.

    In 2022, voters elected seven Democrats and six Republicans to the U.S. House of Representatives. However, Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D) is now running for the Senate seat vacated by Debbie Stabenow, a Democrat who is retiring. Until redistricting maps are finalized, it is not yet clear which Representatives are running for re-election in what districts. 

    Until the use of the newly drawn maps in 2022, the Michigan state legislature was dominated by Republicans who were in control for over a decade and effectively maintained control through redistricting.  Like the prior Congressional map drawn before creation of the MICR, the state legislative maps combined urban areas, which tended to vote Democratic, with surrounding suburbs, which tended to be more Republican.  The 2022 electoral districts, which were based on maps drawn following  criteria in the 2018 amendment to the State Constitution, the number of state Representatives who were Democrats increased from 53 to 56, while the number of Republican Representatives dropped from 56 to 54.  Due to unfilled vacancies resulting from retirement or death, the number of representatives is currently tied at 54 to 54.  The Democrats currently hold a small majority in the state Senate.

    Reproductive Freedom.  Reproductive freedom has been a potent issue in Michigan where voters approved a state constitutional amendment to ensure abortion rights in 2022.  The amendment included all matters related to pregnancy, including, but not limited to, pregnancy, abortion care, contraception, and infertility.  Governor Whitmer, whose support of the amendment helped her win re-election, subsequently signed a series of legislation protecting reproductive freedom, including legislation that repeals a law requiring women to have a separate insurance rider to pay for abortion, as well as laws that imposed onerous and unnecessary non-medical requirements on abortion clinics designed to force them to close, raising costs for patients, and restricting access to abortion.  She has also issued an executive order protecting Michigan healthcare workers from extradition for providing IVF services or pregnancy terminations.

    Saying voting rights are “how we secure reprod­uctive rights,” Whitmer noted that some in Congress favor a national abortion ban and urged voters to stay engaged for the upcoming election. There is a congressional proposal, the Life at Conception Act , with 125 cosponsors that would ban nearly all abortions. Although IVF is not mentioned, the proposed legislation uses an argument similar to that of the Alabama Supreme Court, which conferred personhood on frozen embryos. With IVF emerging as another reproductive freedom issue, Michigan politicians of both parties have been working to refine their positions.

    Although the filing deadline for candidates in Michigan’s August primary election is April 23, polling already suggests that reproductive freedom will continue to be an issue. With months to go, Michigan voters who care about reproductive freedom have plenty of time to learn more.

    Volunteering Opportunites. We encourage all, particularly those living in Michigan, to support or volunteer at organizations that will assist voters in Michigan, including the following:

    [1]See, e.g., Laura Royden and Michael Li, "Extreme Maps,"https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/extreme-maps.

    [2]https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2021/03/28/how-michigans-redistricting-process-work-and-how-get-involved/4700107001/.  

    [3]  See Agee v. Benson,https://www.democracydocket.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/W.D.-Mich.-22-cv-00272-dckt-000131_000-filed-2023-12-21.pdf (Dec. 21, 2023 decision).

  • March 12, 2024 12:18 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    A ClassACT/ Justice AID ZOOM Public Forum

    Saturday, March 16 @ 5:30pm ET

    Featuring: Moderator Joy Reid, Harvard ‘91

    Panelists Cliff Albright and LaTosha Brown

    The right to vote and participate in elections should not be a controversial issue, but it has become one. The forum will explore issues related to  this right, voter apathy, and voter suppression. It also will discuss how to engage and motivate citizens in local communities and across the country to have a voice, register and vote. Join us for this vibrant and timely discussion.

    CLICK TO REGISTER

  • March 01, 2024 5:48 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Highlights Include:

    -ClassACT HR73 and JusticeAid Present: To The Ballot Box! Our Vote, Our Voice, March 16 @5:30pm ET (zoom)

    -Voter Intimidation Could Be a Threat in Arizona, by Jim Harbsion '73

    -@50 Video project: Bill Kristol '73: Preserving Liberal Democracy

    Read

  • February 15, 2024 6:32 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    In the video below, created by Rick Brotman '73, classmate Bill Kristol '73 discusses how the influence of his parents, along with his undergraduate experience, fueled his career and passion for politics and politicians. Having had the chance to look at the workings of our government from “ five to 30,000 feet,” he provides a steady and important view of the state of liberal democracy in our country.

    Click here to watch

  • February 14, 2024 5:43 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    *note that this event is in person in Cambridge, MA

    ClassACT HR73’s Benazir Bhutto Leadership Program, along with the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs (WCFIA) and the Salata Institute, both at Harvard, will host a daylong in-person Symposium focused on mitigating climate change and its concomitant social inequities through public-private partnerships. We hope you will join us for all or part of the day. Refreshments and lunch will be provided for attendees and there will be a reception at the end of the program.

    The participants include:

    • Ambassador Peter Galbraith AB ’73, Senior Diplomatic Fellow, Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation

    • Dustin Tingley, Professor of Government, Deputy Vice Provost, Advanced Learning, Harvard University

    • Nazmul Haque, Fellow, Benazir Bhutto Leadership Program, HKS

    • Leigh Hafrey AB ’73, Senior Lecturer, Communication and Ethics, MIT Sloan School of Management

    • Diego Osorio, MC/MPA ’09, Fellow, Weatherhead Scholars Program

    • Hélène Benveniste, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability

    • Michael Hiscox PhD ’97, Clarence Dillon Professor of International Affairs, FAS

    • James Engell AB ’73, PhD ’78, Gurney Professor of English Literature and Professor of Comparative Literature

    • Erum Sattar LLM ’10, SJD ’17, Former Program Director and Lecturer, Sustainable Water Management Program (SWM), Tufts Institute of the Environment

    • Kimball Chen AB ’73, MBA ’78, Chairman, The Global LPG Partnership

    • Peter Tufano AB ’79, MBA ’84, PhD ’89, Baker Foundation Professor, HBS

    REGISTER HERE

  • February 14, 2024 5:38 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Written by Jim Harbison '73; edited by Ryan O’Connell '73, Jacki Swearingen '73 and Marilyn Go '73

     

    Arizona Demographic Shifts 2010-2022­

    Arizona, with its rapidly diversifying population and large cohort of independent voters, has emerged once again as one of the key battleground states in the 2024 Presidential election. Outcomes in the Grand Canyon state are likely to be even more unpredictable this election cycle because of changing demographics and a surge in voter suppression tactics like intimidation at the polls.

    Until recently, Arizona has been considered solidly Republican. For many decades, Arizona has been a prime destination for retirees migrating to the Sun Belt. The late Sen. John McCain and the late Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor epitomized the sort of traditional Republicans who preferred fiscal conservatism, a strong national defense, and respect for the rule of law. Republicans further to the right like the late Sen. Barry Goldwater also found a place in their state’s GOP.

    However, Arizona has a long border with Mexico, and its Latino population has grown 16 percent from 2010 to 2020, compared to a 10.3 percent growth for the state’s non-Latinos. Latinos now make up nearly one-third of the state’s population. Although Hispanics are often conservative on cultural issues, most have a strong affinity with the Democratic Party. The growth in their percentage of the population has helped turn  Arizona into a “purplish” state. In 2019, Reuters observed that “voting patterns and results from prior elections show the longtime Republican state of Arizona increasingly balanced on a razor’s edge.”

    A Battleground State

    As both Latinos and non-Latinos move to Arizona for its climate and economic opportunities, they have created a new political dynamic where no candidate is assured of victory because of party affiliation. As of 2023, out of nearly 4.2 million registered voters in Arizona, 35% were Republicans, 34% were independents and 31% were Democrats. With such an evenly divided electorate, AZ has become a battleground state.

    Independent voters may play a particularly important role in the 2024 Senate race.  Senator  Kyrsten Sinema, the incumbent, decided in December 2022 to leave the Democratic Party, where she increasingly defied the Senate leadership on key votes and policies.  Sinema now is one of three independents in the Senate who caucus with the Democratic majority. At present she has not yet announced whether she will run for re-election as an independent, and time is growing short for her to decide. 

    If Sen. Sinema does run, she will likely face Rep. Ruben Gallego, the Democratic Latino candidate, a Phoenix congressman, and a Harvard graduate (Class of 2004). Her Republican opponent in that general election is almost certain to be Kari Lake, an election denier who lost the 2022 Senate race to Democrat Mark Kelly.

    At present, Gallego appears to be the frontrunner for this 2024 race, although the volatility of both Arizona and national politics hampers predictions this far out. The Cook Report calls the race a toss-up at this point.

    A Hotbed of Election Deniers

    Looking at the history of election problems over the last four years, the Brennan Center notes that “Arizona was a locus of election denial and subversion efforts in both 2020 and 2022.” These sustained maneuvers included moves to appoint fake electors, threats to and harassment of local election officials, and unsuccessful legislative attempts to decertify the election. 

    Although Doug Ducey, the Republican governor at the time, accepted the 2020 election results as valid, far-right Arizona legislators still demanded two audits of the ballots cast in Maricopa, the state’s most populous county. The audits were conducted by Cyber Ninjas, a now-defunct Florida company whose methods and lack of transparency drew widespread criticism. Ironically, the audit results released finally by the Republican-led Arizona Senate showed that Joe Biden’s margin of victory was higher than initially recorded.    

    Nonetheless, Lake ran for Governor in 2022 repeating her claims that the 2020 election results were fraudulent. Lake lost to Katie Hobbs, the Democratic candidate who had certified the election results in her role as Secretary of State. Lake has continued to deny the 2020 election results in her current campaign for the Senate.

    Intimidation at Polling Sites

    In another example of the charged atmosphere in Arizona, considerable controversy arose over the actions of some private citizens who claimed to be “monitoring” polling sites during the 2022 election.  Some of the self-appointed “monitors” from a group called Clean Elections USA even wore camouflage and carried weapons when they stood near ballot drop boxes. The League of Women Voters of Arizona and other groups representing voters who claimed the monitors were primarily intent on intimidating voters brought suits in federal court. A U.S. District Court judge appointed by Donald Trump agreed, ordering the monitors to stay at least 75 feet away from ballot drop boxes and not to take photos and videos of voters.

    Election experts have expressed concern that tactics such as aggressive poll monitoring practices may resurface in 2024 to prevent voters from casting a ballot. Unfortunately, much of the infrastructure that provided a bulwark against such behavior has been weakened since the 2020 election. Many election officials, worn down by threats or harassment, have resigned or retired; 15 of 17 counties in Arizona have lost their top officials since 2020. Several of their replacements stand firmly in the camp of 2020 election deniers.  

    Native Americans’ Troubled Access to Voting

    Arizona has a substantial Native American population, which has traditionally had limited access to voting. These citizens were excluded from voting before 1948 and were required to pass literacy tests until the 1970s. Native American voters were even harassed and intimidated by polling officials as late as 2006.

    The erosion of laws to protect election practices in Arizona has compounded these problems on reservations. In the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee (2021), the Democratic National Committee sued Arizona’s Secretary of State (Brnovich). The DNC’s attorneys argued that Arizona state laws created obstacles for minority voters to cast their ballots. The Court ruled for Secretary Brnovich and significantly weakened the protections provided by Section 2 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act by making it harder to bring court challenges against discriminatory voting laws.

    As one example, Arizona banned “ballot bundling”, in which an individual would collect ballots from several Native Americans, often for a fee, and then deliver the ballots to a polling station. The Court ruled that Arizona had reasonable grounds to believe that the practice could lead to voting fraud and that abolishing the practice would not unduly inconvenience voters.

    However, as Justice Elena Kagan pointed out in her dissent, there was little voting fraud in Arizona and no evidence that ballot bundling caused any voting fraud. Furthermore, many Native Americans lived on reservations without polling stations, and they often lacked transportation to voting sites that were in many cases far away.

    Some Positive Trends

    On the positive side, there has not been a rash of anti-voting rights legislation recently, as many had feared. Support for strengthened voter protection measures in Arizona remains quite popular overall, as demonstrated in a recent Secure Democracy Foundation poll.

    There are other bright spots as well. A law passed in May 2023 allows police officers, judges, and others in sensitive positions to strike their names and addresses from the public record to ensure their safety and to shield themselves from harassment. This is a good security measure for those individuals, and hopefully the law will make it more difficult for outsiders to interfere with the smooth conduct of elections. In addition, at the end of last year Gov. Hobbs approved a new Election Protection Manual that spells out correct procedures for all of Arizona’s precincts.

    More than 90% of Arizona’s voters voted early, either at a polling place or by absentee ballot. Polls in the state show overwhelming support for absentee voting. However, much of the rhetoric on the far right has sowed the misinformation that this mechanism results in widespread voter fraud. 

    How You Can Help

    The Brennan Center warns that “Given the ongoing level of election denial in Arizona, advocacy groups must remain on alert for intimidation efforts, as they were in 2022.” If you live in Arizona, please consider volunteering as a poll monitor, so you can alert officials of any inappropriate behavior by self-appointed monitors.  

    Now is the time to get involved in Arizona. The Presidential primary will take place on March 19, and Congressional primaries will be held on August 6. There are many ways to get involved, in addition to discussing the candidates and issues with your friends and colleagues and encouraging them to vote. Voter registration drives help all citizens exercise their right to vote.

    Here is a list of non-partisan not-for-profit voting organizations for which you could volunteer or give support: 

    1) Election Protection Arizona is a coalition of frontline organizations that work with communities most subject to voter suppression.  If you are a lawyer, a paralegal, or a law school student, you can volunteer for Election Protection, which provides advice to citizens who want to register to vote or who may encounter problems when they try to vote. EP provides training and materials on each state’s election laws and procedures that enable volunteers to work digitally from home or office. If you are not a lawyer, you can volunteer with EP to help as a poll monitor.

    2) The League of Women Voters of Arizona has as its top priority this year Voting Rights/ Election Systems (Security and Integrity of Elections).

    3) Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA) is deeply involved in registering voters as well as providing ongoing community-based activities, such as seeking fair wages for employees and providing English instruction. In 2022 LUCHA registered 22,000 new Latino voters.

    4) Mi Familia Vota Arizona focuses on registering and Latino voters in Arizona and educating them about the election process. The organization offers roles for volunteers in Voter Registration, Phone Banking and Text Banking.

    5) Protecting Native American Voting Rights in Arizona offers the opportunity to donate in support of efforts to fight the suppression of Native American voters. 

    Be sure to read the article in this issue of the Newsletter on reproductive rights in Arizona and the importance of the upcoming elections regarding that issue.

    And don’t forget to vote!

  • January 17, 2024 12:34 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    December 26, 2023

    By Sara Arshad

    “Leadership is a commitment to an idea, to a dream, and to a vision of what can be.”

    Perhaps the greatest turmoil faced by a young Pakistan was the execution of Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in 1979 by Military Dictory General Zia ul Haq. To the world’s surprise, the Islamic world welcomed the first female prime minister in 1988 in Pakistan in the form of his daughter Benazir Bhutto and I could see a change in the country. Everyone seemed to cherish her win in elections and getting nominated as first lady stateswoman. Whenever she used to appear on television, the entire country became silent and listened to each and every word of her with great respect. She was full of determination and could see the challenges of the Pakistani public with pure heart.

    December 27, 2007, was a horrible day for the people of Pakistan when she was murdered because her followers considered her the only hope left with them.

    This dreadful and ill-fated day when she was leaving a huge public gathering after delivering her speech in Rawalpindi Pakistan, she was shot and died at the spot. The moment the news of her brutal murder was publically announced, people became enraged and Pakistan witnessed the largest public protests in its history following her murder. That night was eerie and mass protests erupted in all parts of the country unitedly. Several banks, buildings, and ATMs were broken down and destroyed. Means of transportation were burnt. A large number of people took shelter in narrow streets and spent the night under the roof of a cold winter night.

    More than 100 people lost their lives in the incidents relating to mass protests due to shootings by the police or from crossfire between different groups during the last 48 hours. Pakistan lost its bravest leader ever and the loss was beyond comparison.

    In order to mark her 70th birthday Harvard class 73 organized a virtual event where speakers honoured and acknowledged Benazir Bhutto’s legacy. For me, it was a lifetime experience because having heard stories about Benazir from my family and friends or reading history from different books is immensely different from listening to the classmates of Benazir Bhutto of Harvard batch 1973. It was an emotional yet inspiring learning-based event that had a 60-minute time duration about Benazir Bhutto’s life’s personal reflection followed by a Q&A.

    Marion Dry, co-founder and chair of ClassACT HR ’73 shared the story of the creation of the Benazir Bhutto Leadership Program and its impact. She shared her experience that Benazir Bhutto was a friend of many in class 1973. She was introduced to Benazir in her freshman year. At that young age, Benazir left a very strong impression at only sixteen which could equal that of seventy.

    Moving forward to 2013, some students of class 73 created Act 73. It included programs like BBLP (Benazir Bhutto Leadership Programme) that assisted students from third-world countries to gain a master’s degree from Kennedy’s school. Much of BBPL’s ideology related to human rights and peace matches that of Benazir. It especially promotes education in Islamic countries.

    It hardly ever occurs that Benazir Bhutto’s family isn’t present in the talk of her remembrance, even today her sister, Sanam Bhutto along with her husband and son attended. Victoria Schofield, author of “The Fragrance of Tears”, and her friends from Washington attended.

    Benazir became the light of people’s hearts. Peter Galbraith further goes into how young she was at every milestone of her life. Only sixteen years of age while entering Harvard, twenty-four when Z.A. Bhutto was assassinated, and 35 when she became the Prime Minister. Benzair faced a big cultural shock while meeting his parents. Usually, the contrast between a Pakistani family and an American family is significant.

    Even as an undergraduate, she had a strong political sense. But that did not give much fruit when faced with the dictatorship in Pakistan. Several times, she was confined in forms of house arrest, Karachi Central Jail, and Sukkar Jail.

    With democratic relationships and policies almost destroyed, Peter’s meeting with Benazir in 1981 became almost impossible. However, he did manage to send her a note that she replied back to with a smuggled letter. Benazir expressed how the grades and essays, and the talk of politics seemed joyful in Harvard but now she realizes how she failed to fully understand how important they were, as important as the air we breathe and the water we drink. 1987, a supposedly quiet year for Benazir where she got married and started a family, didn’t last long when in 1988 a plane carrying General Zia ul Haqq “literally fell out of the sky and the prospect of meaningful elections became real.” Benazir restored democracy in 1988 after dictatorship and died in 2007 while restoring democracy too. Peter urged her to start a normal life, and though she wanted it, she never acted on the idea.

    Laila Khondkar, funded under the BBLP, did several leadership and human rights courses in her year at the Harvard Kennedy School and continues the legacy of Benazir in Dhaka in the form of trying to make a world where women are treated equally in fields such as politics. She talked about the need for collaboration and contribution of different organizations in order to combat social issues. She also collaborated on a future project for Bangladesh with a member of ACT’ 73 called “ Kids Care Everywhere.”

    South Asian countries have a deep-rooted history of violence that the next generations carry with them. In order to combat this, Laila states, that only law reforms aren’t enough and that social norms play a big role. Disrespect and violence have been normalized throughout history.

    Umar Mukhtar Khan, president of Harvard Club for Pakistan shared a lovely memory with Benazir when she went to his school and he showed her a photo in a photographic exhibition and having met with her at his uncle’s residence. All the speakers had a connection with Harvard University.

    Talking about her democratic reconciliation, her stance against extremism, and her progressive politics was strong. Returning to exile in 1986 and subsequently becoming a Prime Minister in 1988, she brought all the stakeholders in Pakistan’s complex political landscapes together and signed the Charter of Democracy with her arch-rivals. She stood like a rock against extremism despite the fact that her life is in danger still she never became biassed which resulted in her fateful murder on 27th December 2007. She made Pakistan a much safer place before leaving through her policies. She believed in women’s rights, minority rights, freedom of the press, and social issues. She was always found standing in front of protecting vulnerable communities.

    Her fellow friends of class 73 left a deep impression as Nuala Walsh quoted in her closing remarks that  “old photo never fades.”  Having received the Nobel Prize or becoming the Prime Minister, Peter Galbraith, and Benazir Bhutto are still Johny and Pinky of class 73. Benazir. Her legacy will continue in people like Laila and many who are pursuing her mission. Excellent moderation was done by Lee. Umar shared his experiences of how Benazir chose leadership and unifying spirit.

    Benazir’s job was not easy but she left a strong message to those who are struggling to achieve rights. Her story is shared as a symbol of courage and victory in every corner of the world. Bhutto is another name for courage, determination, and persistence.

    “Benazir’s trade of courage and character are only associated with the finest people.”—Nuala Walsh

    Full Article: Class Act73 continues with Benazir Bhutto’s Legacy (dnd.com.pk)


  • January 16, 2024 11:35 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Social Media is an essential communication tool for nonprofits looking to raise awareness, build community, and even engage donors. But how to break through the noise to get an accurate and compelling story across? Join ClassACT HR73’s social media manager Katie Marinello, owner of KT World Communications LLC, to learn the basics of creating a digital strategy that bolsters your nonprofit’s mission. If you’ve found yourself confused or intimidated when posting on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and more, this is the webinar for you!


    REGISTER HERE

    Katie Marinello is a digital communications consultant with expertise in digital strategy, brand messaging, social media, and email marketing. An early adopter of social media marketing, she started KT World Communications LLC in 2018. Now served by a team of digital experts, KT World Communications has advised nonprofits, small businesses, and artists on how to harness the power of digital media to tell their brand stories. Katie has advised ClassACTHR73 on social media strategy since 2020 and is also Adjunct Professor of Digital and Social Media at Carroll Community College in Westminster, MD. 

    Prior to launching her business, Katie was a teacher in New York City, online product manager for the Brooklyn Cyclones, and worked for various pharmaceutical, finance, and crisis PR agencies. When not consulting, she fosters rescue cats and can be found supporting the performing arts, women’s and voter’s rights, and prison reform.  @ktworldcomm https://ktworldcommunications.com/


  • January 16, 2024 11:32 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Setting up a 501(c)(3) involves asking a lot of legal questions in order to arrive at the best answers for your organization. Register now for the upcoming ClassACT HR73 Webinar on Wednesday, January 17th at 7pm EST to learn the legal do’s and don’ts from attorney Leonard Easter ’73, who specializes in navigating the nonprofit world. There will be plenty of time for you to ask your specific questions so you will be able to better understand and manage the best course of action for your organization.


    REGISTER HERE

    Leonard D. Easter (Harvard AB cum laude) (Columbia Law JD), a NY attorney specializing in not-for-profit and exemption law with a specific focus on 501(c)(3) formation and operations, for local, state, federal and international arts and cultural institutions and organizations, will lead you through how to form a 501(c)(3) organization.

    Leonard serves on the boards of various institutions and has produced opera, fundraising performances and other artistic presentations. When he has time to breathe, he is consumed with playing the piano.

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