A panel at Harvard University, titled ‘Across the Divide: Organizing to Build Bridges in Partisan Times,’ took place on October 2, featuring prominent Democratic leaders rather than a balanced representation of both political parties. The participants included former Democratic Rep. Joe Kennedy, former Democratic New Orleans Mayor and Louisiana Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu, and NAACP President Derrick Johnson. The event was moderated by former NBC Boston reporter Alison King. The panel, hosted by the Harvard Kennedy School, aimed to address the challenges of bridging political divides, yet its composition excluded any Republican voices, sparking discussions about the inclusivity of the event and the broader implications for political discourse.
Derrick Johnson opened the panel by stating that there was no longer a political divide but rather a national crisis in democracy. He cited the current government shutdown and criticized the Affordable Care Act cuts, suggesting that the issue was not partisan but a deeper crisis. Mitch Landrieu, a former co-chair of Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign and a senior advisor in the Biden administration, defended DEI initiatives and attacked Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of War, as a ‘DEI hire.’ He argued that diversity is the nation’s greatest strength and emphasized the importance of unity in the face of threats to democratic freedoms.
Joe Kennedy, who founded the Groundwork Project, criticized President Donald Trump for shifting the Democratic Party’s focus towards defending the status quo and attacking the ‘anti-democracy’ forces in various regions of the country. He argued that the Democratic Party had traditionally worked to erode corporate power and expand democratic participation, but Trump’s influence had changed this narrative. Kennedy questioned how the party could define itself amidst the current political landscape, where the Democratic Party holds power but is also accused of tearing down the institutions it governs.
The Harvard Kennedy School spokesperson defended the event, stating that the school hosts a broad spectrum of political leaders from both sides of the aisle. They emphasized the importance of engaging with leaders from all political spectrums and highlighted recent events featuring prominent conservatives such as Jared Kushner, Kellyanne Conway, Nikki Haley, Mike Pence, and others. The school reiterated its commitment to engaging with the left, right, and center of the political spectrum, maintaining that each event provides a different perspective, and there is always another event offering a contrasting viewpoint.