Harvard Law Review elects its first black woman president

New York March 1 (IANS) For the first time since its existence the 130-year-old Harvard Law Review has elected a black woman as president.

According to a report in CNN on Tuesday ImeIme Umana 24 is the first African-American to lead a journal that has the largest reach of any law journal in the world.

Former US President Barrack Obama was the first black man to be elected as the Review s president 27 years ago.

The journals has had presidents from other minorities also. Also it has had female presidents also. However until now never a black woman.

Umana was chosen by the Harvard Law Review s 92 student editors in what is widely considered the highest-ranked position that a student can have at the cut-throat law school the report noted.

Umana grew up in Harrisburg Pennsylvania and was brought up by his Nigerian immigrant parents. She s a joint degree candidate at Harvard Law School and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

I didn t realise [civics] could be so personal and so alive for a lot of the students Umana was quoted as saying.

It taught me sensitivity in teaching but it also taught me like the public defender s service to not assume certain backgrounds certain reactions certain lived experiences she added.

--IANS
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