George Floyd: A Reckoning

On May 25, when a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on the neck of George Floyd, the world changed. In the midst of a pandemic shaking the world to its core, black and brown people understood that another pandemic had been raging all along. We all know what happened next. At Hartford Seminary, President Joel N. Lohr made a public statement on June 1 that said:

"Violence against any member of our society is not acceptable. It is contrary to the God we worship and the faiths we practice. We need to speak up. We need to work for change. And we also need to repent of the ways we have been complicit in the wrongs and ongoing violence in our society. In this time of social distancing, and as we seek to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus, this will not be easy. I am calling on you to join with me, our faculty, our staff, and our Seminary leaders to work for meaningful and long-lasting change in our country. This moment cannot go to waste. God is up to something in our world. In whatever ways we can and wherever we are, let’s work for the change we need to see in our country and world. And in the words of Martin Luther King Jr., quoting from the Book of Amos, let us "not be satisfied until ‘justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream." In the weeks following, Hartford Seminary staff and faculty joined protests and took action. Bilal Ansari, Faculty Associate in Muslim Pastoral Theology, was highly visible on the streets in Hartford and New Haven, meeting with New Haven Police Chief Otoniel Reyes to discuss training his department onBlack Live Matter’s eight steps for reducing police violence against civilians. President Lohr, Trustee Rabbi Debra Cantor, Chaplain Aida Mansoor, StudentServices Coordinator Liza Arulampalam, and former faculty member Dr. Yehezkel Landau spoke at an interfaith vigil led by Hartford Seminary D.Min. student Rev. Erica Thompson, senior minister at Asylum Hill Congregational Church. David Figliuzzi, a student and admissions recruiter at Hartford Seminary, was a key organizer. Shanell T. Smith, Associate Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins, gave a moving chapel sermon via Zoom. She titled the sermon "Show Me Your Hands (Jesus)!" and lamented:

"We need you, Oh God, We are tired, we are angry, We are overcome with grief; Our hearts are too heavy, Our tears unceasing." Later, Dr. Ansari was among an interfaith group of religious leaders occupying the steps of the state Capitol, organizing online gatherings with chaplaincy students and alums, and leading the charge to have a racist covenant struck down in Williamstown, MA. He continues to be a leader in the fight for racial justice. In June, the Seminary hosted two webinars moderated by the Rt. Rev. Dr. Benjamin Watts, Director of the Black Ministries Program and Faculty Associate in Religion and Community Life. "Where Do We Go from Here: A Conversation for Faith Leaders” brought a variety of prominent area speakers to the table to discuss the foundational nature of white supremacy in the United States and where we could begin to look at ways to change. Dr. Watts also moderated "A Conversation with Beverly Daniel Tatum," which drew more than 1,000 people to hear our distinguished '00 alum, the President Emeritus of Spelman College and author of the seminal book on race, "Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria: And Other Conversations about Race."

More recently, Hartford Seminary President Joel N. Lohr wrote faculty and staff encouraging the Seminary community 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.

"Questions of racial justice and the inclusion of all people in society and at Hartford Seminary, especially those most at risk, historically less privileged, or oppressed, go to the very core of our mission and identity," President Lohr said.

The Seminary will be asking questions about how we message our commitment, both online and in physical spaces. "Let me be unequivocal. Hartford Seminary is committed to Black Lives Matter as an institution," President Lohr said. "But how do we communicate that effectively? And what does thatreallymean?" The Seminary’s senior leadership team, led by Academic Dean David D. Grafton and Chief Operations Officer Ann Crawford, was tasked with leading an exploration of these questions and making community- based recommendations rooted in action—a deep, foundational educational commitment that goes to the Seminary’s core and informs everything we do. Recommendations that came out of that call included the establishment of a diversity officer, and that position was one of the first concrete actions to follow.

On July 30, Lorraine Browne was promoted to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer. She will lead an advisory council that will examine the other recommendations and make their own.

The work continues, and in many ways is just beginning. If you have thoughts or ideas, please email lbrowne@ hartsem.edu.