Senate Resolution 4

(As Adopted by Senate)

A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING NOAH HARRIS OF HATTIESBURG, MISSISSIPPI, AND NATCHEZ, MISSISSIPPI, AS HARVARD UNIVERSITY'S FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT AND COMMENDING HIM FOR REPRESENTING MISSISSIPPI IN THIS PRESTIGIOUS ROLE.

WHEREAS, we join the friends and family of Noah Harris of Natchez, Mississippi, in honoring him as he prepares for an historic position at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts; and

WHEREAS, Noah Harris was elected Harvard University's first African American male Student Body President in November 2020, by the student body. While Harris' hometown is Hattiesburg, Mississippi, he has close family ties to Natchez, Mississippi. The prestigious Harvard University will kick off the spring semester with the first African American man to be elected Student Body President in its history; and

WHEREAS, Harris is a Junior at Harvard, majoring in political science. He hopes to use his platform and historic win to effect change. "Harvard communities can be pretty separate at times because there are so many great cultural organizations, but that can create separate communities. So, we are trying to use our cross-cultural collaboration to bring communities together. Also, what I really want to do is to pave the way, so I'm not the last black man to be elected Student Body President. I want to use my time in this role to make a change and make students' lives better and I think we're well on the track," said Harris; and

WHEREAS, Noah's parents, Anthony and Frankie Harris, won Mr. and Mrs. Natchez High School in 1986. Noah's grandparents are Don Gordon, Sr., Myrtis Gordon and Juanita Byrd Harris, all of Natchez. Noah said Natchez is the community that raised him, explaining he has felt like he was a part of Natchez. History, food and the people of Natchez are what Noah enjoys most about the city and Mississippi in general, he said. Noah's grandfather, Don, owns Don's Barber Style Shop, 6 St. Catherine Street in Natchez where Noah has his hair cut when he visits. Noah is an Eagle Scout and played baseball and basketball at Oak Grove High School in Hattiesburg. He had the opportunity to play sports in college, but he said he wanted to go to a school known for its academics. Noah's mother suggested he look at Ivy League schools. He toured Princeton, Yale and Harvard. He said he fell in love with the small town feel of Harvard and chose to go there; and

WHEREAS, as he gets ready to head to Cambridge, Massachusetts, for the new semester, he admits being Student Body President over more than 6,000 students during a pandemic will be a challenge. "Our student government meetings are on Zoom. Our classes are on Zoom, too, so we are doing our best on social media, sending emails and doing whatever we can to keep people engaged. Also, there are the projects that we do that we are trying to implement, and people will be able to see those, and so the work continues regardless if it is a pandemic or not. The work arguable becomes more important because of the time that we are in"; and

WHEREAS, Noah Harris is also an author. He recently wrote a book called "Successville" that encourages children to dream big and reach for their goals in life by valuing their education. While a ninth-grader at Oak Grove High School, Noah worked with fellow boy scouts to nail house numbers to homes on Mobile Street in Hattiesburg, as part of his Eagle Scout project; and

WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we pay tribute to the special accomplishments of a young Mississippi citizen who has brought honor to his family, his community and to the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby recognize Noah Harris of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and Natchez, Mississippi, as Harvard University's first African American male Student Body President and commending him for representing Mississippi in this prestigious role, and extending our best wishes for future academic, business and civic success.

be it further resolved, that this resolution be presented to Noah Harris and his family, forwarded to Helen Price, Principal of Oak Grove High School, and Lawrence S. Bacow, President of Harvard University, and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.