Black History Month Events

A Message from the Dean about Black History Month 2024

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Dear Colleagues,

At the School of Social Work, we look forward to celebrating Black History Month and promoting the history, culture, and achievements of Black and African Americans communities. For social workers, commemorating Black History Month aligns with our profession’s core values, including the commitment to social justice and the dignity and worth of each person – particularly those who are underserved and historically marginalized.

Highlighting Black History Month is also an expression of our School’s mission, as described in our Strategic Plan, which advances continuing work on diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism. Our Black History planning committee engages in this critical work by honoring Black lives, contributions, and culture.

This February, we are promoting the achievements of Black leaders in social work and social change. All month we will have on display in our building at 38 Prospect Street in Hartford posters of four trailblazers who each made a significant and lasting impact on civil rights and social justice. They are Lester Blackwell Granger, Mildred “Mit” Joyner, Dorothy Height, and Whitney M. Young, Jr.  You can read about their work on our website.

Throughout the month, we will also share a slideshow celebrating Black history, culture, and music. Please be sure to visit and enjoy this slideshow display in our School’s rear hallway and lower level. Additionally, I encourage you to participate in events at UConn and in your community that highlight the ways in which Black and African American communities have changed and continue to shape our collective history, society, and futures.

In solidarity,

Laura Curran, Ph.D.
Dean and Professor

Celebrating Black Change Agents

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For Black History Month 2024, the School of Social Work is highlighting four inspiring Black changemakers:

Lester Blackwell Granger
1896-1976

  • First Black president of the National Conference for Social Work in 1952
  • Advocated for the desegregation of schools and played a role in the Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court case
  • As executive director of the National Urban League from 1941 to 1961, promoted equal opportunities for Black people in employment, housing, education, and other areas
  • As a social worker, worked with Black youth in New Jersey's vocational school system

Granger described Black Americans' goals as "the right to work, the right to vote, the right to physical safety, and the right to dignity and self-respect."

Mildred "Mit" Joyner
1949-2023

  • Held various position at West Chester University School of Social Work for 25+ years, establishing the first MSW program in Pennsylvania
  • Profound scholar and leader volunteering her time on boards, creating scholarships, serving as a mentor, and fighting for social and economic justice
  • Served as United States Representative on the board of the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW)
  • Served as president of the National Association of Social Workers from July 2020 to June 2023

"My advice to all members is to please commit to reading the code of ethics yearly. Some social workers seem to forget the purpose of social work, often placing their personal values over professional values." -- Mildred "Mit" Joyner

    Dorothy Height
    1912-2010

    • Although admitted to Barnard College, was not allowed to attend because the school did not admit African Americans. Went on to graduate from New York University and completed postgraduate work at Columbia University.
    • Best known for leadership positions in the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) and the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW)
    • Dubbed "the godmother of the civil rights movement," having founded activist group Wednesdays in Mississippi and helping to organize the March on Washington
    • Awarded the Citizens Medal Award from President Ronald Reagan in 1989 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004.

    "We have to improve life, not just for those who have the most skills and those who know how to manipulate the system, but also for those who often have so much to give but never get the opportunity." -- Dorothy Height

    Whitney M. Young Jr.
    1921-1971

    • First Dean of Social Work at Clark Atlanta University
    • One of the organizers of the March on Washington
    • Held leadership positions as president of the National Conference on Social Welfare, executive director of National Urban League, and president of the National Association of Social Workers
    • Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor

    "Every man is our brother, and every man's burden is our own. Where poverty exists, all our poorer. Where hate flourishes, all are corrupted. Where injustice reigns, all are unequal." -- Whitney M. Young Jr.

    Lester Blackwell Granger
    Mildred "Mit" Joyner
    Dorothy Height
    Whitney M. Young Jr.

    SSW Marks Black History Month with Call for Racial Justice

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    From the Desk of Dean Heller

    Dear Colleagues,

    While Black History Month presents us with the opportunity to celebrate the contributions of African Americans to our nation’s history, at this moment we are also called to redouble our commitment to the cause of racial justice.Black History Month graphic

    As many of you know, in early January, 29-year-old Tyre Nichols of Memphis, Tennessee died after being fatally beaten by police officers during a traffic stop. His death is a painful reminder that just three years after George Floyd’s death, Black people remain disproportionate targets of police violence. At the School of Social Work, we are staunchly opposed to systemic racism and will continue to use the tools of teaching, scholarship, and community and professional action to call attention to and end the structural inequities that harm Black communities.

    Fittingly, the theme for this year’s Black History Month is “Black Resistance.” According to the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, the theme addresses the fact that “African Americans have resisted historic and ongoing oppression, in all forms, especially the racial terrorism of lynching, racial pogroms, and police killings since our arrival upon these shores.” We are all too aware of how anti-Blackness continues with efforts to erase Black history and excuse violence. As long as such anti-Black oppression exists, the School of Social Work will work to challenge it, locally and globally.

    The School’s Black History 365 committee engages in this work by honoring and highlighting Black lives, contributions, and culture throughout the year. On Feb. 1, we’re hosting “Giving Voice to the Black Experience,” an event with local artist Miles Wilson-Toliver who will discuss a form of resistance – the rejection of Euro-classical voice technique which paved the way to a more universal technique: RSVP at http://s.uconn.edu/BH365.

    All month long, I strongly encourage you to explore opportunities at UConn and in your community to highlight the accomplishments and impact of Black and African American communities on our history, society, and culture. Visit a museum, attend a lecture, read a book, volunteer. These efforts advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism, as well as our goal to support and value the experiences of our Black students and colleagues.

    In solidarity,

     

    Nina Rovinelli Heller, Ph.D.
    Dean and Professor
    Zachs Chair in Social Work