Entitled “I Am My Ancestors’ Wildest Dreams,” the program in Lincoln Theatre was an opportunity to reflect on the challenges of the past, while calling on all of us to strive for greatness, work toward a just society, and continue the fight for civil rights championed by Dr. King.
The centerpiece of this year’s celebration was a panel discussion featuring Josie Brown, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences and Hillyer College; Ronnell Higgins, the commissioner of Connecticut’s Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection; Yolande Nicholson Spears, senior VP of education and chief community impact officer for the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts; and Eboni Nelson, dean of the University of Connecticut School of Law. The moderator was David Thompson ’89, M ’91, vice chair of the University of Hartford’s Board of Regents.
Reflecting on the day’s theme, Brown said, “I am my ancestors’ wildest dreams that they did not know they had.”
“As a young woman of color growing up in a West Indian community, I was told that I could be successful, if I went into a profession, if I became a lawyer, if I became a nurse,” she said. “That I could be a young black woman with a Ph.D. was not something that was told to me … the fact that I am on this stage, that I work at the University of Hartford, is a dream, it is an ambition, it is a goal that my ancestors could not imagine.”
Still, the panelists said the work of creating a more just, inclusive society is far from over – especially in the current political climate.
“The civil rights movement was exactly that – a movement,” said Nelson. “It is not a moment. It never has been and it never will be. And part of that movement is making progress, and then retreating from that progress, making more progress and then retrenchment back.”
So how do today’s students carry that progress forward? “Be your own authentic self,” said Higgins. “There’s enough barriers out there. Don’t be a barrier for yourself.”
Provost Katherine Black, in her remarks, forcefully affirmed inclusive excellence as one of the University of Hartford’s core values, both in and out of the classroom. “Our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging is strong and unwavering,” Black said. “Only when everyone feels included—that is, when everyone feels like they belong—will everyone contribute. And only when everyone contributes will we fully realize our mission as a University. … Inclusion is the means by which we achieve success.”
Katherine Black, ProvostOur commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging is strong and unwavering.
Seven members of the University community were honored with this year’s Beloved Community Awards, presented each year to students, faculty, staff, and alumni who honor and exemplify Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s beloved community.
The program also featured musical performances by saxophonist Derrick M. Roberts II M’23, Psy. D’26. Mikala Phillips ‘27, Music Theatre and Talese Brown ‘27, both music theatre majors, performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” And second-grade students from the University of Hartford Magnet School performed the song, “Sing About Martin.”
In a video message, President Lawrence P. Ward, who was traveling on University business, reflected on his own family’s history in the city of Hartford. “I think often about my mother, who for 25 years worked in the Hartford Electric Light as a chambermaid and sacrificed to send her three children to college,” Ward said. “I know that I've had experiences in my professional and personal life that she never had, but I also recognize as president I have a leadership platform in the city that she would never have imagined.”
“Importantly, my story is part of a large collection of stories that are being written at the University of Hartford by a new generation of students,” Ward continued. “Their stories now become part of our collective history.”