Writer

Taonga R. Leslie

Latest Content


Scatter Plot

Every year, thousands of Harvard students take part in internships, study abroad programs, and research. Many of us have a great time. Many do not. And yet almost no one would admit to having a bad time over summer break in casual conversation. Instead, boring internships in hostile work environments are reframed as “learning experiences."


Unmentionables

Perhaps when we go out for dinner, we should experience a moment of discomfort, however fleeting, when we meditate on the arbitrary stroke of luck that separates the person serving from the person being served.


In Defense of Sentiment

At the same time, relentlessly focusing on the harsh realities of police brutality and mass incarceration without recognizing exceptions to the rule eventually leads to burnout and apathy.


What to Do With Good White People

Given the right incentives, even the most timid ally can be emboldened to challenge systems of oppression. Given the wrong ones, even committed radicals soon burn out.


Confessions, Part II

While I was spilling my secrets in a dark confessional booth, millions of similarly angst-ridden teens were sharing their stories online. Assisted by the Internet, our generation has made a lifestyle out of personal revelations.


Become Colorless

America has embraced a new equally dangerous dichotomy between the “ethnic” and the “universal.”


The Trouble with Triage

HUHS should focus on fostering an atmosphere based on trust, not triage.


Free Harvard

A tuition-free Harvard would be a far more welcoming place to all students.