Black History Month Alumni Identity Spotlight: Kahlil Greene ’22

Meet Kahlil Greene ’22, the Gen Z Historian! In this Black History Month Alumni Identity Spotlight, Greene shares how his identity was an integral part of his Yale experience and how he continues to leverage his platform for advocacy.

This feature is part of a series focused on amplifying the voices of alumni who are making an impact today and illuminating how the identities we bring to Yale transform both our community and the world. 

What is your most enduring memory of your time at Yale?

My most enduring memory of my time at Yale was participating in Cultural Connections. It was truly so much fun and it was a relief to find out that Yale had an ethnically diverse, vibrant social culture among its student body which was in contrast to the stereotypes painted of the institution.

How has your identity shaped your Yale experience?

My identity has been integral to my Yale experiences. Some of the first few organizations I joined when I came to Yale were through the Afro American Cultural Center. It was this community that supported me most when I ran for and was elected as Yale's first Black student body president.

What is your hope for the future of the Yale alumni community?

My hope is that the Yale alumni community fosters more connections between recent alumni and "further out" alumni. The Yale Club of Washington, D.C. hosted many events just for intergenerational alumni to connect and they were so fulfilling. The same holds true for the Yale Club of Hollywood.

What advice would you give to fellow or future Yalies? 

I would tell future Yalies to follow their dreams! It's easy to get caught up in the hype of what other people think success is but you really just have to define it for yourself or you may end up chasing a life that isn't the one you want.

Kahlil Greene, also known as the “Gen-Z Historian,” is a New York Times and Forbes Magazine recognized digital educator with over 600,000 followers and 20 million views across his TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles. He has authored op-eds about Gen Z and justice in the Washington Post, LA Times, and Harvard Business Review.

Kahlil graduated from Yale with a degree in History and served as the college’s first-ever Black student body president. Kahlil is now a full-time, self-employed speaker, influencer, and educator and is known for his TikTok series “Hidden History” — which dives into stories of American injustice — and for his commentary about cultural appropriation.