Yale University recently elected its first black student body president this year. Kahlil Greene is officially the first black student to be elected to the position in the university’s 318-year history.
Greene, a junior at Yale and Montgomery County, Maryland native, reportedly made history in May 2019, when his classmates elected him head of the Yale College Council, the student body organization founded in 1972 to address undergraduate concerns and campus issues at the university.
“I feel like I wanted to kind of amplify the voices of the underserved communities on campus, especially students of color. So being the first black president, I feel like I’m in a position where I can really do that,” Greene said.
When asked if he feels the pressure of being the first black president, Greene told Fox 5, “n a way, but I feel like it more so symbolizes the progress the university has made over the years for the journey that we still have ahead of us. So I think that we can be a more diverse and inclusive campus, and I’m grateful for the role that I’ll have in making it happen.”
This is possibly the first of many leadership roles for Greene. Greene is currently majoring in economics and political science at the Ivy League institution and revealed that he is considering a career in politics.