Unity Green
Thursday, June 20, 2024: Unity Green bench installation!
Unity Green Bench Dedication
Please join us on November 3 at 11:15 a.m. on the Church’s Front Lawn following the worship service.
“West Hartford’s town green no longer memorializes a slaveholder.”
— West Hartford’s Town Green Renamed in Spirit of Unity by Ronni Newton (from we-ha.com)
Unity Green was dedicated on June 20, 2021
“’Unity Green will inspire conversation, collaboration, contemplation and celebration of what community means by telling the story of the land, acknowledging the past, and embracing the diverse and rich culture of West Hartford,’ First Church said in a statement. ‘By sharing the stories of West Hartford’s past and present, previously untold stories will give voice to members of the community often overlooked in traditional history. These stories combined with the traditional narratives of our past will yield a more complete and inclusive history of our town.’
“First Church plans to continue to partner with Concerned Parents of Color and others in the community to make Unity Green more welcoming, and to provide programming – which will be open to the public – featuring speakers about inclusive history.”
2021 Celebrations
During worship on Sunday June 20, 2021, Rev. Erica Avena’s message reflected on the words of Rev. Nathan Perkins in his 1812 sermon “The National Sins and National Punishment, in the Recently Declared War.”
Click here to read Rev. Erica Avena’s sermon.
Click here for the Land Acknowledgement letter.
Click here to watch the worship service.
2022 Celebrations: