The Capital City Crew, a UConn Hartford student group, whose mission is to connect students to the Hartford community, organized the first of many “Hear Us Out” conversations. Reflecting the strong civic and community spirit of our students, Hear Us Out is a forum for dialogues around inclusion, equity, and justice. The inaugural conversation was themed “Hartford Against Hate,” and asked critical questions about racism and social justice in relation to student experiences on campus and in Hartford. Scott Campbell, Professor of English and who lives in and advocates for Hartford, moderated the conversation. In the last segment of the event, students responded to the question, “How can we make our campus community more inclusive?” Their responses included:

“more communities to work, listen, and learn together” | “campaigns + education on issues of concern” | addressing problems head on and not trying to sweep them under the rug” | “treat others how you want to be treated” | “inclusive curriculum (representation within classroom) | “Islamophobia discussion” | “more cultural events/represent all cultural holidays/events” |

Stay tuned for more Hear Us Out conversations!

UConn Hartford was well represented at the Hartford Public Library’s “Beyond the Words” annual Gala at the Hartford Marriott Downtown. Author Reyna Grande was the featured keynote who spoke about her immigrant experience and how books and libraries gifted her with equal access to knowledge and information. West Hartford resident and architect, Tai Soo Kim, received the Caroline M. Hewins Medal, which “recognizes an individual who embraces the City of Hartford and its people, who breaks the mold and provides service of a revolutionary kind, who stretches the boundaries of a social or cultural institution with a humanistic approach to public service, and who shows strong guardianship of and advocacy for the basic right to equal access to information and opportunity.” As one of the most impactful institutions in our city, UConn Hartford is committed to supporting this partnership and HPL’s programming.