However, students admit that they struggled to engage in discussions across the racial divide, and that conversations that did take place tended to occur in segregated student organizations or among groups of friends.

“When it came to race, it was much more difficult to have those vigorous conversations where we were truly seeking to understand others,” Johnson said.

But despite experiencing racial tensions on campus, upon looking back, many members of the African-American community at Harvard said that they enjoyed their undergraduate years and made the best of the opportunity they had.

“The foolishness is out there. And I’m going to not embrace the foolishness,” Johnson said. “I’m going to take advantage of the opportunities that are here.”

Finally, students who graduated in 1988 said that they see Harvard as much more diverse and more open to conversation now than it ever was before. Over 45 percent of the incoming Class of 2017 were minorities.

“What I can say from what I’ve been able to see from afar is that the Harvard community seems to have continued its efforts to be more representative of the world, in terms of incorporation of people of color,” said Latimore.

“I certainly see what seems to be progress.”

—Staff writer D. Simone Kovacs can be reached at dkovacs@college.harvard.edu. Follow her on Twitter @simkovacs.