The Town of West Hartford, in collaboration with the Capitol Region Council of Governments, hosted the Greater Hartford Civility Summit at Town Hall on Wednesday, Sept. 16, giving students, residents, and local politicians the opportunity to share different perspectives on civility, social media, misinformation, and bridging the generational gap. 

By Roz Green

As attendees entered the West Hartford Town Hall the morning of Wednesday, Sept. 16, for the Greater Hartford Civility Summit, they were greeted with coffee and breakfast and given an opportunity to network. The event officially began with a spoken-word poem performed by poet Nadia Sims, in which she discussed the importance of respecting and honoring everyone, regardless of their background or identity.

“Dignity, it respects differences, disagreements, and diversity. Protect cultural and ethical history and adversity. It says, ‘I see you,’ and our humanities are considered equal. I acknowledge you, I hear you and recognize you as we the people,” said Sims. 

After Sims received a standing ovation, Wethersfield Mayor Ken Lesser and West Hartford Mayor Shari Cantor delivered welcome remarks.

“Throughout our history, we lived through periods of deep division in our country,” said Lesser. “We’re living in another era of division right now. But gatherings like this one today, seeing our students from the Rell Center, the University of Hartford, our students from the Kid Governor’s Cabinet, and seeing all of you here today, gives me great hope for the future, and that’s what today is about.”

Mayor Cantor shared her gratitude for those who attended and thanked everyone for taking the time to be a part of this event. She also took a moment to honor all of the mayors in attendance, including Lesser.

Following welcome remarks, Kid Governor Cabinet members Ajla Reci and Dylan Ellis discussed their individual platforms, emphasizing the importance of young voices and creating positive change in their communities. 

The first panel of the morning highlighted the core principles of civility. Windsor Mayor Nuchette Black-Burke served as moderator, while three other municipal representatives conversed with different political perspectives.

During the panel, Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam emphasized the importance of civility and treating politicians and community representatives with kindness rather than anger. “I think people lack a sense of dignity for themselves. A sense that they can live a dignified existence, because, you’ve got to question your own dignity, if you’re willing to act crazy in a public forum, and do the kinds of things that all of us who were elected officials have seen directed at us, and our humanity is losing that piece of that dignity.” 

After the panel concluded, attendees were divided into two discussion groups to continue the conversation about civility. 

Alyssa Edwards, a junior Communications, Advertisement and Public Relations student at the University of Hartford, said the discussion groups helped her connect with government on a more local level. “It’s important to know who makes the local decisions that impact you,” said Edwards. She added that having the opportunity to speak with local politicians helped her feel more connected to her community. 

Sarah Miner, director of The Governor M. Jodi Rell Center for Public Service, helped lead one of the discussion groups. Miner encouraged University of Hartford students to attend the event – some there to represent the Rell Center as interns, or others there in the name of civility.

She stressed the importance of having difficult conversations, not being afraid to speak up, and sharing thoughts and opinions respectfully. “There are many opportunities to talk about the Rell Center and its mission, but events like the Greater Hartford Civility Summit give us the opportunity to put that mission into action,” Miner said. “By bringing people together for meaningful conversation, we can model and practice civil discourse, strengthen civic participation, and empower others to become ambassadors for these values in their own communities.”

Once discussion groups concluded and attendees reconvened, the second panel took place. This panel focused on navigating conflict, misinformation, and public pressure in the digital age, with the panel featuring Tyron Harris, director of human resources of East Hartford, as the moderator.  

Brandon McGee, CEO of the Social Equity Council, spoke on the negativity politicians encounter on social media, and the importance of learning and understanding the impact of social media. “What we’ve done, at least in my agency, as we’ve gone on this learning journey of just better understanding our communities that we serve,” said McGee. “In order to do so, you’ve got to speak the language of the people and all of this big talk and you know these nuanced formulas and systems. We have to meet people where they are, and if we continue to gaslight what’s happening on social media since that’s the biggest topic here, it becomes very nasty.” 

In his closing remarks, McGee recommended that going forward, politicians should try not to go down the rabbit hole of hate, and prioritize having healthy conversations with the individuals they are engaging with. 

As the Greater Hartford Civility Summit came to a close, Lesser thanked attendees for participating and encouraged them to keep asking questions, having difficult conversations, and treating people with respect, dignity, and kindness. 

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