Link to our open letter.

This petition calls on Harvard to reject the proposed grading policy, arguing that it is not merely flawed but racially harmful in effect. We center racism as a core concern, contending that although the policy is framed as neutral “differentiation,” it functions as a system of ranking and sorting that mirrors and reinforces existing racial and socioeconomic hierarchies. Because first-generation, low-income (FGLI) students and students of color are disproportionately affected by structural inequities long before arriving on campus, the policy would compound those disadvantages rather than correct them.

Drawing on research in education and social psychology, the petition argues that stratified grading systems and heightened evaluative pressure often widen racial achievement gaps. It maintains that policies presented as meritocratic or neutral can still produce racially unequal outcomes, effectively legitimizing inequality by attributing disparities to individual performance instead of structural conditions. Historical examples of grading reforms at other institutions are cited as evidence that such policies can expand racial grade gaps, even without explicitly discriminatory intent.

The letter also challenges the administration’s claim that there is no evidence these reforms disproportionately harm marginalized students. We assert that denying this research dismisses the lived experiences of students who already face systemic barriers. We emphasize that students of color and FGLI students are equally capable, but racism and structural inequality shape the burdens they carry within predominantly white institutions.

We urge Harvard to reject the policy and instead pursue reforms that uphold academic rigor while actively dismantling, rather than reproducing, systemic racism.