On June 10th, the U.S. Congressional Black Caucus was welcomed to the Bushnell’s Belding Theater to kick off a three-day celebration of the 200th birthday of author Harriet Beecher Stowe. The interactive community-focused program ignited a call to action on three important issues for America: the achievement gap, the economics of race, and health disparities.

Congressman John B. Larson and The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center’s Executive Director, Katherine Kane, welcomed the delegates which included Missouri Congressmen Emanuel Cleaver III and William Lacy Clay Jr. Florida U.S. Representative Corinne Brown. Jesse Jackson, Jr. of Illinois; Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas; G.K. Butterfield of North Carolina, Donna Christensen of the Virgin Islands; Hank Johnson of Georgia. Gregory Meeks of New York; Donald Payne of New Jersey; and Laura Richardson of California.

Over 40 Hartford Job Corps Academy students and staff participated in the event, which provided them the opportunity to take part in the conversation and create a blueprint of the key actions to address inequities and the role each of us can play in achieving justice for all Americans.