Say NO to Samantha Power’s Return to Harvard

Harvard has announced that Samantha Power will return on June 1, 2025, as a joint faculty appointee at Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Law School. This decision is deeply troubling and unacceptable.

While Harvard lauds Power’s career in diplomacy and human rights, her record tells a different story — one marked by the consistent defense of U.S. policies that enable mass human suffering, particularly in Gaza and the broader Middle East.

As head of USAID during the Biden administration, Power:

• Defended the withholding of aid to Palestinians as Gaza faced genocide, starvation, and total infrastructural collapse.
• Justified the continuation of aid to Israel even as it bombed civilians and blocked humanitarian assistance.
• Failed to hold Israel accountable, despite overwhelming documentation of war crimes and violations of international law.

Harvard cannot claim to be a space that values human rights and justice while welcoming back someone who has shielded and perpetuated U.S. complicity in atrocity.

We call on Harvard students, faculty, and alumni to oppose this appointment and demand accountability. Send a message to Harvard now!