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Unity and Progress

Hartford Seminary is committed to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

After the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and others, President Joel N. Lohr encouraged the Seminary community in June 2020 to work with him and senior leaders to address how we as an organization—systemically—will deliver on our commitment to support racial justice and the Black Lives Matter movement.

President Lohr tasked the Seminary’s Senior Leadership team with making recommendations to address systemic and historic racial inequities both internally and externally. The Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees adopted several of these recommendations, including:

Hiring a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer
Lorraine Browne, who has worked at Hartford Seminary in various positions since 2007, was promoted to that position on July 30, 2020.
Establishing a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Council
The council had its first meeting on Sept. 17, 2020. Members include:
- Lorraine Browne, Chair – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer
- Naseem Shaikh, Trustee
- Ann Crawford, Chief Operations Officer
- Jean Amos Lys, Trustee
- Lucinda Mosher, Faculty Associate in Interfaith Studies

In its first meeting on Sept. 17, 2020, the council established an annual meeting schedule and began a review of the recommendations put forward by the Seminary’s Senior Leadership Team. The council also agreed that the Seminary’s website should include a section on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to serve as a clearinghouse for internal initiatives, news, resources, and upcoming events. The council is beginning to examine opportunities for structured dialogue on race and social justice, implement a process to respond to racial incidents at the Seminary, as well as partner with and support other groups in Hartford working to further social justice. As the council begins to compile and analyze various data, diversity targets will be established and shared.

Hartford Seminary is committed to building and fostering an educational environment that promotes a culture of inclusivity, diversity, and equity. Our shared responsibility is to embrace, cultivate, and respect differences in all forms. We aim for inclusive excellence by creating effective systematic policies and practices that advocate and champion equality for everyone.

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month begins on May 1 and ends on May 31. This annual celebration recognizes and honors the achievements of Asian Pacific Americans. For a list of events taking place, visit:

https://www.fapac.org/AAPI-Resources

https://asianpacificheritage.gov/

https://time.com/5592591/asian-pacific-heritage-month-history/

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/free-history-the-anatomy-of-anti-asian-violence-and-racism-tickets-149162381699?aff=ebdssbonlinesearch

Autism Awareness Day

World Autism Awareness Day is Friday, April 2. This is an annual month-long effort to raise awareness and help spread kindness for autism during the month of April. For a list of events taking place, visit:

https://www.autism-society.org/get-involved/national-autism-awareness-month/

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/advantages-of-autism-with-temple-grandin-registration-140855561777?aff=ebdssbonlinesearch

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/autism-neurodiversity-different-not-less-wprincess-aspien-chloe-hayden-tickets-144031673613?aff=ebdssbonlinesearch

Countering Hate Against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

March 25, 2021 at 1:00pm: A panel of experts and advocates will lead a discussion on countering hate against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. For more information and to register, visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/countering-hate-against-asian-americans-and-pacific-islanders-tickets-146640761465?aff=ebdssbonlinesearch

Women’s History Month

Women’s History Month begins on Monday, March 1 and ends on Wednesday, March 31. This annual celebration recognizes and honors the achievements of women. For a list of Women’s History Month events taking place, visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/d/online/international-womens-day/

Black History Month

Black History Month begins on Monday, February 1 and ends on Monday, March 1. This annual celebration recognizes and honors the achievements of African Americans. For a list of Black History Month events taking place, visit: Online Black History Month Events.

Celebrating Black History Month in Connecticut

Association for the Study of African American Life and History

Multiracial Interfaith Dialogue on Race & Racism: Interest Form

We are forming a planning group to plan a series of virtual multiracial interfaith dialogues on race and racism for the Hartford Seminary community. We hope that these dialogues will provide an opportunity for reflection, learning and growth to strengthen our community and foster greater racial justice. Please fill out this short form to indicate your interest and availability to participate in, help plan, and/or facilitate these online dialogues, which will take place during the Spring 2021 semester. This project is supported by a Racial Equity and Interfaith Cooperation grant from Interfaith Youth Core. Please email Gilana.Levavi@student.hartsem.edu for more information.

https://forms.gle/7DHhw5PaARXQ3HwM7

We welcome your voice, your thoughts, and suggestions as we work together for racial and social justice. Please email Lorraine Browne – lbrowne@hartsem.edu.

Coming Soon…

As we work collectively to champion for change, we’d like to highlight various initiatives at Hartford Seminary that bridge the divide and unify efforts for racial and social justice.

I Have A Dream