The Connecticut Museum of Culture and History just hosted the first exhibition of the Hartford Environmental Justice Research Partnership, a traveling series that lifts up local residents’ experiences of environmental injustice and equity. This work connects directly to CLJ’s environmental justice campaign for repair after 40 years of trash incineration in Hartford’s South End.
This 3-year, Mellon Foundation–funded project is a collaboration between Trinity College’s Center for Urban and Global Studies and Center for Caribbean Studies, the Center for Leadership & Justice, and the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center.
Next stops for the exhibition:
• Urban Hope Refuge Church – March 4
• Avon Public Library – March 5
EMERGENCY FUND UPDATE ‼️🚨 After an initial allocation was announced in mid-December, our coalition supported advocates across the state in a press conference in early January to urge the Governor to announce next steps for the unspent funds based on emerging attacks on CT families and publicly-funded safety net. Notably, no funds have been allocated to prepare the state for the infrastructure needs of setting up a state-funded SNAP program to prevent a hunger crisis for CT’s cost-burdened residents.
The coalition plans to launch their emergency 2026 Stand Up CT legislative campaign on Monday February 2nd at noon at the Legislative Office Building to continue demanding that state government take action to protect and provide stability to CT families as we face chaos from the Trump administration.
GHIAA sent an open letter to Gov. Lamont this week, urging him to act with urgency to protect vulnerable CT residents from the harm of federal cuts. Of the $500M set aside by the legislature last fall, over 60% remains unspent. Yesterday, leadership announced a plan to carry forward the balance of the fund for use this spring. Let’s keep up the pressure!
Thousands of Connecticut residents have taken action—meeting with legislators, sending emails, making calls, delivering postcards, talking to neighbors, and holding rallies—demanding a clear response from the Governor and legislature. While the special session made steps to counter federal overreach, this is only the beginning.
Incremental changes are no longer enough. With billions in surplus dollars, Connecticut must prioritize families over Wall Street bondholders, rethink outdated fiscal guardrails, and immediately invest in housing, food, and basic needs. Bold action is needed now to build a safer, stronger state that truly protects its people.
Miles de residentes de Connecticut han tomado acción —reuniéndose con legisladores, enviando correos electrónicos, haciendo llamadas, entregando postales, hablando con vecinos y organizando manifestaciones— para exigir una respuesta clara del gobernador y la legislatura. Mientras que la sesión especial tomó medidas para contrarrestar la extralimitación federal, esto es solo el comienzo.
Los cambios graduales ya no son suficientes. Con miles de millones de dólares de exceso de ingresos, Connecticut debe dar prioridad a las familias por encima de los inversores de Wall Street, reformular las anticuadas medidas de las barreras fiscales e invertir inmediatamente en viviendas, alimentación y necesidades básicas. Ahora se necesitan medidas audaces para construir un estado más seguro y fuerte que proteja realmente a su población.
This week leaders will be in front of different GHIAA institutions with a clear message for Governor Ned Lamont. We are asking for all residents to call the Governor’s office at 860-566-4840 and demand 4 things: Safeguard personal data from immigration enforcement, protect our courts so that all resident can access the justice system, prohibit the use of the National Guard for immigration purposes, and allocating the state’s $2 billion surplus to fund federal cuts to healthcare, access to food, and other essential services.
"Do not wrong a foreigner or oppress (them), because you were a foreigner in Egypt." Ex. 22:21
GHIAA leaders will be posted on the corner of Main and Gold throughout the day lifting up a call for immigrant protections. Come through and stand in solidarity! #remembertheother #welcomethestranger
@cljct #ghiaa
On Tuesday, we came together and showed up to deliver 916 postcards to Governor Lamont. He stepped out to hear from us, but still hasn’t committed to meeting our communities’ needs.
Connecticut is sitting on a $2 billion budget surplus, taxpayer dollars that should be reinvested in the people who make this state strong.
As we head into the special session, we’re calling on our leaders to:
✅ Protect immigrants in CT courthouses
✅ Protect personal data from federal access
✅ Prohibit state resources from being used for immigration enforcement
✅ Preserve HUSKY Medicaid coverage for all, regardless of immigration status
✅ Invest Connecticut's nearly $2 billion budget surplus back into our communities.
Governor Lamont, we’ve done our part. Now it’s your turn.
Help us call on our elected officials to call a special session to protect our families and communities: LINK IN BIO
Hundreds at a vigil in Hartford honoring the lives interrupted by immigration enforcement actions and demanding that our state government responds with clarity and action at this critical time. Immigrant protections this special session ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥 link in bio for more
500+ greater hartford neighbors standing up against ICE raids in Newington and across our state. 🔥WE ARE FIRE🔥 MELT ICE 🧊
Demands to legislature shared by Rev. Darrell Goodwin, Executive Conference Minister of the Southern New England United Church of Christ. Great to partner with GHIAA on this important community response event,
In Hartford’s South End, the legacy of environmental racism on Black and Latine communities continues to shape daily life. In a powerful reflection, Derin Atalay, Director of the Liberal Arts Action Lab, explores how Trinity College students, faculty, and community members are utilizing participatory research and storytelling to understand the injustices and promote dialogue about environmental equity through the Urban Environmental Justice in Greater Hartford Research Project.* Read the latest blog post on how Hartford’s South End turned shame into power and is claiming its right to clean air, clean water, and community-led restoration here: https://www.trincoll.edu/cher/blog/naming-shame-reclaiming-justice-a-reflection-on-environmental-racism-in-hartford/ Photos by: Mariangie Pena and Sarah McCoy
*The Urban Environmental Justice in Greater Hartford project is a research collaboration between Trinity College’s @trincollcher Center for Caribbean Studies, and @trinitycugs with community partners at the @cljct and the @stowecenter . This 3-year project is funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
The Mellon Grant facilitation sessions are brought to us by Stowe on the Go. Stowe on the Go is a mobile public history and dialogue program from the Stowe Center for Literary Activism, engaging communities in bold conversations about justice, equity, and activism through immersive, place-based storytelling.
#EnvironmentalJustice #MellonGrant #TrincollCHER #StoweontheGo #CommunityResearch
This morning members of the North Hartford Public Safety Coalition met with Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam to present him with the findings from community listening sessions around the hiring of the city's next Police Chief. Led by GHIAA clergy Rev. Andrea Davidson, North United Methodist, the report highlighted residents' priorities of trust, equity, alternative crisis response, increased training, and gun violence prevention. A full copy of the report is available here:
/file/d/1cLmQZT4wTISBfaRJLBbh0W2GuNAlLJ_T/view
Yesterday GHIAA leaders joined with dozens of other faith leaders in Connecticut to call on lawmakers to bring the expanded Trust Act to a vote. Rev. Josh Pawelek, Rev. Tracy Johnson Russell, Abigail Williamson, and Valentine Doyle spoke on GHIAA’s behalf to urge legislators to protect Connecticut’s vulnerable immigrant community. H.B. 7212 would add provisions to regulate local and state cooperation with ICE and allow for harmed individuals to seek restitution. Interfaith leaders were joined at Thursday’s press conference by Rep. Maryam Khan and Rep. Farley Santos who both emigrated to the country as small children and support the current efforts to advocate for a stronger Trust Act.
Connecticut residents should call their local legislator to demand HB 7212 be called for a vote.
