The Gazette ran its first story on the coronavirus outbreak on Jan. 30, a Q&A with the Chan School’s Marc Lipsitch outlining what experts knew (and didn’t) about the disease at the time. The picture sharpened in the following weeks. And the deadly pandemic dominated our coverage, touching as it did every part of our lives and shining a harsh spotlight on social, political, and economic inequities. It also had a major role in the two other big stories of the year: the national reckoning over race and the high-stakes presidential election. In addition to all that, there were scientific discoveries, achievements in the arts, academic milestones, and a virtual celebration honoring the Class of 2020. But the larger theme running throughout felt familiar: members of the community rising to challenges and striving to make things better, both on campus and in the wider world, with thoughtfulness and creativity. Here’s a look back at an extraordinary year through a sampling of some of our most-read stories.
Commencement speaker Martin Baron, editor of The Washington Post, sends along the Class of 2020 with the message that facts and the truth matter and are worth fighting for.
Paul Reville, former secretary of education for Massachusetts, says COVID-19 school closures have turned a spotlight on inequities and other shortcomings.
Sharon Block, executive director of the Labor and Worklife Program, and Benjamin Sachs, the Kestnbaum Professor of Labor and Industry, point to flaws in the social safety net, an indifferent OSHA, and a system that favors employers over employees.
David Cutler, the Otto Eckstein Professor of Applied Economics, and Lawrence Summers, the Charles W. Eliot University Professor and former U.S. Treasury secretary, say national testing, contact tracing could make huge difference in saving costs.
Lawrence D. Bobo, dean of social science and the W.E.B. Du Bois Professor of the Social Sciences, dissects police killings of Black men and the history and cognitive forces behind racial bigotry and violence, and why he sees signs of hope.
Orlando Patterson, the John Cowles Professor of Sociology, says there’s been progress, but the nation needs to reject white supremacist ideology, bigotry in policing, and segregation.
Experts and analysts from the Harvard Kennedy School and Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies examine possibilities in foreign policy, intelligence, and defense.
Michael Klarman, an authority on constitutional law and history and Kirkland & Ellis Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, sees trouble ahead in large conservative majority on Supreme Court.
