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MIT makes history electing first black woman student body president in 159 years

by Brooke Seipel - 05/29/20 10:06 PM ET

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) students made history this month when they elected the school’s first-ever black woman student body president.

Danielle Geathers and running mate Yu Jing Chen won the student government election earlier this month, becoming the president and vice president of the Undergraduate Association.

Geathers just finished her sophomore year and is a major in mechanical engineering, according to CNN. Last year, she served as the Undergraduate Association’s diversity officer.

“In terms of coming from that diversity space and being focused on promoting equity across MIT, it would kind of be important to have someone in the President’s role who’s focused on that,” she said.

CNN reports that she plans to make the school as inclusive as possible in her role.

“Although some people think it is just a figurehead role, figureheads can matter in terms of people seeing themselves in terms of representation,” she said. “Seeing yourself at a college is kind of an important part of the admissions process.”

According to school data, black students make up about six percent of MIT’s undergraduate community.

Students left the school in March due to the coronavirus pandemic, and discussions are still underway as to how classes will resume in the fall.

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