Breana Norris

Breana Norris came to Harvard Divinity School after earning a bachelor’s degree in east Asian area studies at the University of Southern California. Breana studied the meteoric rise of Asia’s economies and growing international presence in the global economy. Breana has also studied abroad extensively, having lived in Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong, and Beijing. Breana realized the narratives of economic development were a belief system -— a belief in capitalism and the transformative power of prosperity. Yet in some of the world’s richest societies, Breana also witnessed the erasure of poor and marginalized communities. Breana thought of these communities, whether “Mao’s floating population” in China or the unhoused population in Los Angeles, as blind spots in global development narratives. This background inspired Breana to study capitalism as a religion— specifically the communities left behind— at Harvard Divinity School.

Initial Fellowship Focus: Strengthening Housing Innovation in Birmingham