The First African American Student Body President in the 318-Year History of Yale University

Filed in Milestones on June 11, 2019

Recently, Kahlil Greene was elected president of the Yale College Council. This is the equivalent of student body president at a majority of colleges and universities across the United States. Greene will be the first African American to hold the position in the university’s 318-year history.

Greene ran on a platform with four major tenets:

1. The facilitation of meaningful interactions between Yale and New Haven.

2. The fostering of a safer, healthier, and more equitable campus culture.

3. The enhancement of the quality of the university’s academics and facilities.

4. The improvement of the Yale College Council’s capacity to cater to student demands.

After winning the election, Greene stated: “As the first Black president, it is important for me to symbolize the progress that this university has made over the years, and the journey we still have ahead of us. Yale should continue working to become a more diverse and representative place. I’m grateful for the role that I will have in making that happen.”

Greene is a rising junior and an economics major. He spent the summer of 2018 at the London School of Economics and Political Science.