{"id":4534,"date":"2026-06-23T02:05:38","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T06:05:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/orgs.law.harvard.edu\/blsa\/?p=4534"},"modified":"2026-06-25T02:07:48","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T06:07:48","slug":"presidents-summer-reflection-launching-our-60th-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orgs.law.harvard.edu\/blsa\/2026\/06\/23\/presidents-summer-reflection-launching-our-60th-year\/","title":{"rendered":"President&#8217;s Summer Reflection: Launching Our 60th\u00a0Year"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dear HBLSA Family,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I hope that summer break has offered each of you room for respite, relaxation, and exploration of yourselves beyond the demands of law school. As we settle into the season, I want to begin by congratulating our entire community on completing another successful academic year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To the Class of 2028, congratulations on finishing your first year at Harvard Law School. Navigating the challenges of 1L year\u2014and making it through a strenuous final examination season\u2014is no small feat. You should be proud of what you have accomplished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the same time, I recognize that not everyone may have achieved the academic or professional outcomes they hoped for this year. If you are carrying disappointment, uncertainty, or simply need support, I encourage you to reach out to HBLSA Cares. Our community has always been strongest when we show up for one another, and no one should feel they have to navigate setbacks alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As we look ahead, I am excited to share that HBLSA&#8217;s committees and Executive Board have already been hard at work behind the scenes preparing for the 2026\u20132027 academic year. We are planning an exciting slate of programming that will include many of our beloved traditions, alongside new initiatives and ideas designed to strengthen our community, support our members, and celebrate Black excellence at Harvard Law School.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This year is especially meaningful as we prepare to celebrate HBLSA&#8217;s 60th Anniversary. For six decades, HBLSA has served as a source of advocacy, fellowship, mentorship, and joy for Black law students. This fall, we will officially launch a yearlong commemoration of that legacy while continuing the work of building an even stronger future for generations of students to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As we recently observed Juneteenth, I hope each of you found meaningful ways to celebrate your Blackness, connect with your communities, and honor the resilience, creativity, and brilliance of Black people. Yet celebration alone cannot be our only response to the moment we find ourselves in. In the years since the Supreme Court&#8217;s decision in&nbsp;<em>Shelby County v. Holder<\/em>&nbsp;effectively struck down key protections of the Voting Rights Act, we have witnessed continued challenges to voting access and democratic participation across the country. These developments serve as a reminder that the rights and freedoms many fought to secure require ongoing vigilance and collective action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As Black law students and future lawyers, we have both the privilege and responsibility to educate ourselves, engage thoughtfully with the issues shaping our communities, and prepare for a robust fall of action, advocacy, and activism. Our legal education equips us with tools that can be used to challenge injustice, strengthen institutions, and expand opportunity. I hope we will continue to embrace that responsibility together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While there is much work ahead, there is also much to celebrate. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve this community and excited for all that we will accomplish together in the coming year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I look forward to welcoming everyone safely back to Cambridge this fall as we begin another year!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With gratitude,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Landon Coles<br \/><\/strong>2026\u20132027\u00a0President<\/h6>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Harvard Black Law Students Association<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dear HBLSA Family, I hope that summer break has offered each of you room for respite, relaxation, and exploration of 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