Harvard Law Review elects first black woman president after 130 years

The Harvard Law Review is being led by a black woman for the first time in the journal’s 130-year history.

ImeIme Umana, 24, was elected on Jan. 29 by the 92 student editors of the journal to be president of its 131st volume.

Former President Obama, elected 27 years ago, was the journal’s first black male president.

{mosads}Umana is a joint degree candidate at Harvard’s Law School and the Kennedy School of Government.

She was selected from a field of 12 candidates that included eight women and eight people of color, the outgoing Law Review president told the Harvard Crimson. The interview process includes 12 hours of deliberations over two days, with a review of the candidates’ portfolios and a written component.

In an interview with The New York Times, Umana reflected on why it has taken so long for the law review to elect a black woman.

“We’ve been systematically excluded from the legal landscape, the legal conversation, and we’re just now making some important inroads,” she said.

Congrats to Imelme Umana, HLS ’18, on her selection as President of the Harvard Law Review. 1st black woman to serve as President. #Herstory pic.twitter.com/liqu40K4Va

— Harvard BLSA (@HarvardBLSA) January 30, 2017