Senator Derrick T. Simmons visited with Hattiesburg resident Noah Harris, the first African American to be elected Harvard University’s Student Body President in November 2020, after he was honored by the Mississippi Senate on Friday, March 19, 2021, with presentation of Senate Resolution 4.

Harris is a junior political science major at Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts who hopes to use his platform and historic win on the 6,000-student campus to show African Americans can lead if given the opportunity.

"Harvard communities can be pretty separate at times because there are so many great cultural organizations, but that can create separate communities. So, we are trying to use our cross-cultural collaboration to bring communities together. Also, what I really want to do is to pave the way, so I'm not the last black man to be elected Student Body President. I want to use my time in this role to make a change and make students' lives better and I think we're well on the track," Harris said.

Harris is an Eagle Scout and played baseball and basketball at Oak Grove High School in Hattiesburg. He had opportunities to play college sports other places but chose Harvard for academics.

Harris has deep Natchez roots too, as he spent significant time with his grandparents Don Gordon, Sr., Myrtis Gordon and Juanita Byrd Harris. Don owns Don's Barber Style Shop.

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