Press Release: 5/27/2025
Media Advisory on Harvard vs. Trump impacts, Tuesday 6:00 Press Conference & 7:00 Mass Webinar
May 26, 2025
Contact: Lisa Paige at 774-571-1761 or press@crimsoncourage.com, Lew Finfer (617) 470-2912
Press Conference
Crimson Courage, Harvard Alumni group, will hold a virtual press conference Tuesday May 27 at 6:00 PM (link to register is below), including a media Q&A period. This is prior to the 7:00 Webinar, which over 3000 have signed up for. Speakers will address the impacts of the Trump administration’s actions against Harvard on:
Students, 20,000 of them, and faculty rights
International students, 6800 ordered to leave Harvard by the Trump Administration
The 30,000 Harvard employees
Life-saving medical research
Academic freedom
Financial retaliation with huge endowment tax increase and threatening to end Harvard's tax exempt status
Economy of MA and the US and internationally
Speakers at the 6. p.m. virtual press conference include:
T.H. Chan School of Public Health Professors Walter C. Willett and John Quackenbush on impact of research grants cancelled
Harvard Medical School Professor Dragana Rogulja on the impact of research grants cancelled
Former DoJ Chief of the Educational Equal Opportunities Section Anurima Bhargava, lead attorney for the alumni amicus brief to be filed June 10 in support of Harvard’s lawsuit against the Trump Administration
Leo Gerdén '25, international student from Sweden, representing 6800 International students facing eviction from Harvard
Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers, Simon Gonzalez on the impact of this on 20,000 Harvard employees
President of the Phlllips Brooks House, Harvard community service organization, Nana Safo-Mensa '25, on the impact on 30,000 students
Cambridge City Council Member Patty Nolan A.B.'80
Crimson Courage leaders: Jessica Tang A.B. '04, M.Ed. '06, President of American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts; Andrea Thomas S.B. '95-96, representing the Coalition for a Diverse Harvard; and Lew Finfer AB '72 Director and Community Organizer at Massachusetts Action for Justice
At both events, Crimson Courage leaders will discuss the ongoing activities of the group; at the webinar, alumni will learn direct actions they can take to participate.
Speakers at the 7:00 Webinar, to which over 3000 have signed up to attend:
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey A.B. '92
New York Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado J.D. '05
Bulwark editor William Kristol A.B. ’73, J.D. '79
Harvard University Professor Danielle Allen Ph.D. '01
Harvard Law School Professor Randall Kennedy, Hon. A.M. '89
National President of the AAUP Todd Wolfson
Journalist E.J. Dionne Jr. A.B. '73 will serve as moderator
Additional speakers at the webinar include:
Harvard Alumni Association (HAA) elected director Jyoti Jasrasaria (A.B. '12, J.D. '18), Cambridge City Council Member Patty Nolan (A.B. '80), Co-Founder, President and Board Chair of Democracy House Ian Simmons (A.B. '98, M.Ed. '01), American Federation of Teachers, Massachusetts Crimson Courage co-chairs Karen Scharff and Lew Finfer; Crimson Courage co-founder Hunter Maats (A.B. '04), and Naoka Carey, NYU Law Professor.
NOTE: A student-run in-person rally supporting international students is planned for 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 27, at the Harvard Science Center Plaza, 1 Oxford Street.
###
WHAT: Crimson Courage Virtual Press Conference
WHEN: 6-6:15 p.m. EDT Tuesday, May 27
WHAT: Crimson Courage Alumni Webinar
WHEN: 7-8:30 p.m. EDT Tuesday, May 27
FOR LINKS TO BOTH REGISTER HERE
For additional information, contact Lisa Paige at press@crimsoncourage.com or 774-571-1761.
Crimson Courage is a nonpartisan community of Harvard alumni. Our mission is to support Harvard in remaining independent and in resisting government overreach. We aim to build partnerships with alumni organizations from other universities, as Harvard is not alone in this fight.