photo by Polina Kovaleva courtesy Pexels
Highlights from the year’s posts on the underlying, core values that guide us.
“So, community is definitely a leading value for me. Understanding early in life right from wrong, good and bad, is how one finds their moral center. That moral center comes from who constitutes your family, or how you choose to; I am always searching to find people that are honest, have an integrity, and convey authenticity.” –Amos Smith (Cohort 6) Interview
“I knew that I cared about people and would always work towards our collective liberation. It was just such a clear statement that my own liberation was integral and intertwined with the liberation of others.” -Baba Onígbọ̀nná Enroue Halfkenny (Cohort 10), On this grey morning
“…the impact of poverty in communities, and how that intersected with race… I wanted to think about entrepreneurship, business and investment.” –Anna Blanding (Cohort 4), Black Investment, Ownership and Wealth (Part 2)
“I think that brought me into a passion for caring for children generally and about wanting every child to be happy and thriving and nurtured and loved.” –Jessica Sager (Cohort 1), Caring for Caregivers
“Dr. Opal Lee is a perfect example of that enduring strength of the African American spirit and the divine presence that has guided generations toward justice and equality.” –Jolyn Walker (Cohort 9), Freedom & Faith
“That’s how I got to work more closely and dedicatedly with family childcare, which for me is also connected to my personal story and the invaluable role of a woman supporting other women.” –Marina Rodriguez (Cohort 22), Enduring & Overcoming: Family, Mentors & Support
“Writing is about returning to my truth, my voice. Poetry is a conversation with my soul.” –Maria Solomon (Cohort 31), Embracing the Journey of Becoming
“Both for myself and my outward perception of the world, what I’m trying to work on is rooted in empathy…” –Daniel Pizarro (Cohort 25)
“I want to engage in community, and that requires bringing my whole self to the work on a day-to-day basis.” –Stephen Mikolike (Cohort 28) Interview
“What is the difference between knowing something and understanding it? What does it mean to be educated? Why does it matter? I don’t pretend to know all of the answers myself, but I do know this country is long overdue for a deeper conversation and rebuilding of our system.” –Cameo Thorne (Cohort 27), Understanding Is the Prize
“Mine were honesty, integrity, community, peace, and love. I chose love.” –Janis Astor del Valle (Cohort 10), Telling the Truth
“…I also started to form a missive that allowed me to get outside of myself, and create hope. I was going to grow up and create safe spaces for children… I wanted to give voice to children. Later on, it also evolved to include family voice and teacher voice.” –Allyx Schiavone (Cohort 16), From Silence to Voice to Victory
“I also remembered the practices that became habits during those 72 days in the woods. Be outside. Give something away. Speak with someone who loves me.” –Christina Kane (Cohort 26), Wayfinding
“Ambivalence about teaching the hard truths about the relationship between America’s present and America’s past underserves all students… Teachers are being told to sanitize history as a concession to those who believe that discussing race and racism harms young white children. Significantly, I have yet to hear anyone express concern about how discussions of race, racism, and slavery potentially traumatizes Black children of African ancestry.” –Gloria Holmes Ph.D. (Cohort 7), Meditations on America Part 2: Mis-Education & Oppression
“I think it’s important to know our own family history, and what it means in a larger historical sense, including the damage that was done to your own family or inflicted on others.” –Sherill Lee Baldwin (Cohort 12), History, Remembrance & Truth-Telling
“At our core, this was never about having “fun” — although we’ve made it fun, but it was always about how do we honor family. How do we honor each other.” –Carmen Nieves (Cohort 17) Interview
“I honor the woman who didn’t shrink. Who didn’t wait for permission. Who didn’t need a crowd to be consistent.” –Maria Solomon (Cohort 31), Embracing the Journey of Becoming (Part 2)
“Can we love ourselves the way we love others?” -Brandon Hutchinson (Cohort 17), in Wrestle the Fear, with Miriam Sutton (Cohort 29)
Curated by The Circle’s creative director & editor, Lara Herscovitch. To reach Lara directly: thecircle@clpnewhaven.org or Lara@LaraHerscovitch.com