Letter to President Garber: With Appreciation and a Call to Keep Choosing Courage
September 18, 2026
Dear President Garber and the Trustees of the Harvard Corporation,
We thank you for your efforts to defend Harvard and higher education against political attacks that threaten academic freedom and attempt to stamp higher education with the administration’s ideological imprint. We ask that you continue this admirable record, that you act with an unwavering consistency. We are writing on behalf of Crimson Courage, the alumni organization formed one year ago to support Harvard's resistance.
Your refusal to capitulate to many persistent federal demands and your successes in court—and in the court of public opinion—have inspired students, faculty, and alumni across America.
Please do not slow this momentum now.
At the same time, we are increasingly concerned by changes on campus which, taken as a whole, undermine our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. The new restrictions banning alumni interviewers from mentioning an applicant's race, ethnicity, religion, or cultural background in their reports are alarming. Of note, our understanding is that peer institutions have not taken this action. This change is the latest in a pattern of distressing actions that include the refusal to fund affinity graduation celebrations, the closure of the Women's Center and Office for BGLTQ Student Life, and more. In addition, Harvard Medical School risks sending the message that a diverse, inclusive community is not an essential part of medical care. These choices fail to support the very students and faculty most in need of these services. Academic freedom depends not just on protecting expression, but on ensuring that everyone has an unfettered opportunity to participate, contribute, and thrive.
President Garber, we urge you to
Continue to refuse to sign any agreements with the Trump administration since no agreement signed would be honored.
Publicly commit to not responding to the DOE's “National Call to Action” (Compact 2.0) and its website posting requirements.
Rescind the guidance to alumni interviewers and issue revised, clear guidance that empowers interviewers to speak freely when recruiting potential students so they can help attract diverse classes in the future.
Publicly reaffirm your commitment to a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community and to providing the kinds of support needed by students and faculty from groups who have faced discrimination historically and confront it increasingly at present.
Thank you for your leadership. Please continue to choose courage.
