For a small city, Hartford boasts extraordinary ethnic diversity and fluidity. This appealed to me as an interesting phenomenon to explore photographically. This cultural diversity resonates in the built environment, which is continually adapted and repurposed to suit the needs and tastes of the newer populations. Hardly dull, I thought. Visually, breathtaking.

As part of the religious majority, I was oblivious to others’ religious observances and practices. In an increasingly diverse world, learning about other religions and their rich traditions is a wonderful way to build community and enables us to view the world through other lenses.

Somewhere inside Alden Global Capital, the new owners of the Hartford Courant, someone in the cost cutting department may have had a smug feeling of accomplishment when they received word that Jon Lender had accepted the latest buyout offer. That’s bad news for the rest of us.

Increasingly, ageism is hitting home for vibrant, talented women of a certain age who, arguably, feel the sting more acutely in their personal, social and professional lives. Something needs to be done about it.

Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide. The World Health Organization reported nearly 10 million cancer deaths in 2020. The connection between socioeconomic status (SES) and cancer remains a vital public health issue.

The Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge is the only national wildlife refuge in Connecticut, and, like the state itself, its small size belies its significance and beauty.

The petition by the Mohegan to the Connecticut General Assembly in May 1789 describes, in poignant and poetic language, the environmental impact of British colonial settlement on Native American communities. And offers a glimpse of history long-forgotten or forever unknown in the Land of Steady Habits.

It was 1786. The Blue-backed Speller was designed to teach America’s children how to read and write—and how to be American—at a time when the United States had just won its independence from Great Britain. Noah Webster challenged traditional spellings, especially those he viewed as particularly British, believing the young nation needed its own language. And here we are.

There are several connected systemic issues that contribute to the inequity experienced in the United States. These issues of inequity disproportionately impact people of color. In order to practically address this issue, we need to build data driven systems and solutions that look at all of the components of systemic and individual racism.

As part of efforts to dismantle structural racism and improve social and economic mobility for Black and Latinx residents of Greater Hartford, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving seeks to increase the number of Hartford residents living in higher opportunity neighborhoods. Today, Connecticut is one of the most racially and economically segregated states in the country.