CLASSACT NEWS

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Freedom of the Press: Views from the Front Line

With reporters under siege everywhere from the streets of Minneapolis to their homes in northern Virginia, ClassACT HR73 will present the second forum in its Freedom of the Press series on May 6 at 7:00 pm ET. Its moderator Richard Tofel ’79, who was the founding general manager of ProPublica and the assistant publisher of the Wall Street Journal, will head a panel of lawyers and reporters to discuss the current physical and legal threats the press faces.

David McGraw, deputy general counsel and senior vice president at the New York Times and lead lawyer for the paper’s newsroom, will join the discussion along with Bruce Brown, president of Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. Francia García Hernández, a reporter for Block Club Chicago who covered Operation Midway Blitz, will describe what it is like to cover immigration and ICE operations in a city where nearly one-quarter of the residents are immigrants.

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ClassACT Cross-Class Webinar: Building Community. Taking Action. Together.

Harvard College alumni from all classes are invited to join an interactive ClassACT information session on Wednesday, April 29 at 7:00 PM ET, held on Zoom (link provided upon registration). The session will introduce the ClassACT model and highlight how alumni are coming together, within and across classes, to explore important societal issues, support impactful organizations, bring alumni expertise to public challenges, and strengthen class connections. Designed for those looking to reconnect with classmates while making a meaningful impact, the webinar offers a practical, flexible pathway to engage around shared purpose.

What is ClassACT? Class Achieving Change Together
Brief Background:

ClassACT began with members of the Harvard-Radcliffe Class of 1973 who, approaching their 40th reunion, asked a simple question: how can we use our collective experience, networks, and resources to make a difference?

What started as a single class initiative has grown into a broader ClassACT Movement, now engaging alumni across many Harvard classes. Each ClassACT reflects the interests and energy of its members, while sharing a common commitment to service, civic engagement, and community.

Why Start (or Join) a ClassACT?

• Deepen Class Connections
  Move beyond occasional reunions to sustained, meaningful engagement with classmates.
• Support Causes That Matter
  Work together to identify and support organizations and issues that resonate with your class.

• Flexible, Class-Driven Model
  There is no single model. Each ClassACT evolves based on the interests, leadership, and capacity of its members.

• Be Part of Something Larger
  Join a growing network of alumni across generations who are learning from one another and amplifying their collective impact.

What You’ll Learn on April 29th:

• How ClassACT started and how it has grown
• Examples of what different classes are doing
• What it takes to launch a ClassACT in your own class

• Ways to get involved: whether you want to lead, support, or simply learn more

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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.

On April 22nd, join us as we introduce the Children's Orchestra Society, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to "teaching the language of music" to children and teens. The mission of the Children's Orchestra Society is to cultivate and nurture children and teach them teamwork and life skills through music-learning and performing in orchestral and chamber music settings. Members of COS receive excellent training in classical music and opportunities to perform in concerts with their peers as well as with well-established musicians. Classmate and Executive Director of COS Yeou-Cheng Ma will take you through the society's mission, work, and organizational needs.

Environmental Protection in America: Reviewing the Past and Looking Ahead to the Future of Nature

MONDAY, MARCH 30TH, 7:00 - 8:30PM ET

Click for List of Resources

Missed the forum? Watch the full recording, or an 11 minute version on the playlist below, edited by Rick Brotman '73!

We are honored to share that our 3/30 Forum Environmental Protection in America: Reviewing the Past and Looking Ahead to the Future of Nature, has been featured in Harvard Magazine in a detailed write-up by Olivia Farrar, framing our discussion as a "Harvard alumni panel examining the impact of the Endangerment Finding."

Give it a read here

CLICK FOR RESOURCES FROM FORUM

Missed the training? Click below to watch. Edited by Rick Brotman '73.

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Environmental Protection in America: Reviewing the Past and Looking Ahead to the Future of Nature

With “Trump Allies Near ‘Total Victory’ in Wiping Out US Climate Regulation” (New York Times, 2/10/26), has disruption, division and non-stop controversy in our country and the world reduced the focus on climate change and the environment? Not for the members of ClassACT’s working group. Please save the date and register for a crucial discussion and calls to action by experts in environmental history, law and policies.

As part of the broader ClassACT HR73 "Democracy@250" plans for the year 2026, the Environment & Climate Change Working Group will host a Conversation intended to 1) trace the history of the Anthropocene and environmental protection in the US 2) provide perspectives on the declining federal involvement in environmental issues and climate change 3) address developments in local, state, and global commitments in this arena, and 4) articulate actions that need to be taken for the protection of our environments as democracy continues to erode in the United States. The panel will feature Dr. Jason Clay ‘73, Executive Director & Senior Vice President at the World Wildlife Fund, Environmental Historian Dr. John McNeill from Georgetown University, American Historian of Science Dr. Naomi Oreskes from Harvard University, and Environmental law and Energy Policy Professor Dr. Sharon Tisher’ 73 from the University of Maine. Dr. W. John Kress ‘73, Botanist and Smithsonian Director of the Consortium for Understanding and Sustaining a Biodiverse Planet, will moderate.

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Highlights Include:

-Voices of Democracy: Our Classmates and Friends // Iran: A Country in Transition, with Bahman Mossavar-Rahmani '73

-Recap on Learn at Lunch with Jim Engell '73: How to Write an Op-Ed

-Updates from our Bridge Partners: White pony Express, Wings of Hope Global Collective, and FoolProofMe

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Presented by ClassACT HR73 & JusticeAid

Featuring the National Immigration Project

As the response to immigration becomes more volatile, many citizens and community members want to get involved. This free training, facilitated by the National Immigration Project, will discuss the ever-evolving immigration landscape and provide practical and effective response tactics for those who encounter ICE actions.

What are your rights? Which tactics are appropriate and effective when confronted with an immigration enforcement action? What should you do if ICE attempts to detain you?

Bearing witness, testifying against improper action, speaking up, attending a rally or vigil, or even donating—is resistance. The training will help teach you about your rights, realities and different ways you can help. 

Panelists from the National Immigration Project Executive Director Sirine Shebaya, Director of Advocacy Caitlin Bellis, and Rapid Response Coordinating Attorney Gracie Willis will teach you about your rights, realities and different ways you can help.

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Monday, February 23, 12:00 - 1:00pm ET on ZOOM

Beginning in 1978 Jim Engell AB '73 taught literature and then also environmental issues at Harvard. He retired in 2024 as Gurney Research Professor of English and Comparative Literature. For 20 years he taught a course on rhetoric, too. Its online HarvardX version, "Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking,” has enrolled more than 900,000 learners. In that course he includes writing op-eds and speeches and has published op-eds in major and local newspapers. He believes that education in writing and speaking should include a sense of civic engagement.

Jim will present pointers on writing and submitting an op-ed and a letter to the editor. These pointers are not specific to a particular issue, they are applicable to almost all issues. You’re able to submit an op-ed or letter to the editor of many newspapers and publications, not your local ones only. There will be ample room for questions.