A blog companion to the book by Susan Campbell
Rabbi Debra Cantor (pictured) of Congregation B’nai Tikvoh-Sholom in Bloomfield, Connecticut, was invited to speak to Faith Congregational Church, Hartford’s oldest predominantly black church. With her permission, I’m reprinting her sermon here: Thank you. I am deeply honored by the opportunity to address you this afternoon. I’ve been attending the Martin Luther King Day gatherings here …
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(Or, for those who don’t celebrate, Happy Day You Really Should Take Down the Outside Lights!) Three Kings Day traditionally honored the three magi — Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar — who followed the star to Baby Jesus, and brought him expensive gifts because they knew this wasn’t just an ordinary baby. The day is a big …
…is you. Yesterday, I was sitting and doing a little (very little) work at Hartford’s downtown library (free Wifi!) and ended up sitting next to a class of would-be English speakers. As I listened to them practice words like “arm” and “hurt,” I got a little choked up. One woman spoke Turkish and Farsi and some …
…is about to be honored by the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice for his ground-breaking work for justice in the state of Connecticut. The ceremony honoring Bishop John Selders begins at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 22 at Metropolitan Community Church in Hartford. I say this as a friend. I say this as a fan: Bishop John Selders serves as …
That wonderful book (full name: “The Warm of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration) by Isabel Wilkerson charted the movement of Southern African Americans to economic opportunities in the north, in Detroit, in Chicago, and yes, in Hartford (particularly to the Frog Hollow section, the subject of a book-I’m-finishing). This says that gun …
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This is the Courant story, and this is the situation: Hartford has under-performing, low-resource schools already. What do you think the elimination of so many positions will accomplish? Forty-seven of those eliminations come from consolidating four schools, but the rest? I’ve been in Connecticut for 30 years now, and I wonder: How many generations of …
Continue reading “Proposed Hartford school budget would eliminate 235 full-time positions”
Because our federal government codified a policy of dis-investment, through redlining and unfair mortgage practices. This started nearly a century ago, and it continues today. I wrote this for WNPR.
That was a text from my sister-by-choice (mine, maybe not hers) Sara Capen Salomons this morning. A little, I texted back, but I didn’t, not really. I mean, it was Easter this time last year, right? Chocolate bunnies, kids’ baskets? But then she reminded me, Sara who has more soul than I ever will. This time …
Today starts my spring break from University of New Haven, and in between beer pong and the beach, I will be taking a break from this blog. Actually, I will be working on my book about one of Hartford’s coolest neighborhood, Frog Hollow. I’ve told myself I’ll write 50 pages in one week. Wish me luck, …
A year ago, that man in the middle was sleeping on the porch of the state Supreme Court. He rolled up his bag one day and walked across the street to participate in Homelessness and Housing Advocacy Days — talk to legislators about his situation, maybe make some change. This is that man just last year: …
Dating Jesus 