Dr. Danielle Allen
Professor of Public Policy, Politics, and Ethics at Harvard University, Director of the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics, and James Bryant Conant University Professor
Dr. Danielle Allen is a professor of public policy, politics, and ethics at Harvard University, Director of the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics, and James Bryant Conant University Professor, one of Harvard’s highest honors. She is also a seasoned nonprofit leader, democracy advocate, national voice on pandemic response, distinguished author, and mom. Her work to make the world better for young people has taken her from teaching college and leading a $60 million university division to driving change at the helm of a $6 billion foundation; writing for The Washington Post; advocating for cannabis legalization, democracy reform, and civic education; and, most recently, to running for governor of Massachusetts.
During the height of COVID in 2020, Allen’s leadership in rallying coalitions and building solutions resulted in the country’s first-ever Roadmap to Pandemic Resilience; her policies were adopted in federal legislation and a presidential executive order. She then made history as the first Black woman ever to run for statewide office in Massachusetts.
She continues to advocate for democracy reform to create greater voice and access in our democracy, and drive progress towards a new social contract that serves and includes us all. Her many books include the widely acclaimed Our Declaration: A Reading of the Declaration of Independence in Defense of Equality and the memoir, Cuz: The Life and Times of Michael A.
“[A]n invaluable civics lesson” (The Washington Post), Our Declaration was awarded the Heartland Prize, the Zócalo Book Prize, and the Society of American Historians’ Francis Parkman Prize. Other honors include a fellowship from the MacArthur Foundation (widely known as the “genius grant”), and the 2020 John W. Kluge Prize for Achievement in the Study of Humanity, an award administered by the Library of Congress that recognizes work in disciplines not covered by the Nobel Prizes.
Dr. Allen will be in conversation with educator Angela Williams-Pitkonen.
Angela Williams-Pitkonen is the College Board AP Advocate state lead for Georgia, and she is also the world history virtual specialist for the Georgia Department of Education.
