Trinity College President Joanne Berger-Sweeney recently was named a Trailblazer by the Urban League of Greater Hartford. She was honored as part of the organization’s 56th Equal Opportunity Day (EOD) Celebration held in December. The event’s theme, “A Moment in the Movement,” recognized the unique urgency of efforts, sacrifices, allyship, and aid in 2020 within the long-standing fight for racial, social, health, and economic equity for Black Americans.
The Trailblazer Award honors local leaders who have continuously devoted leadership, time, and resources to pave the way for transformational and lasting impact to the benefit of others, particularly those from underserved populations. Honorees are inspiring mentors who also leave a legacy by passing on their vision to leaders of the future.
Berger-Sweeney, who is Trinity’s first Black and first woman president, has overseen numerous accomplishments at Trinity, including the creation of the Bantam Network mentoring program for first-year students; the launch of the Campaign for Community, a campus initiative promoting inclusiveness and respect; and the expansion of Trinity’s footprint to Constitution Plaza in downtown Hartford. Under Berger-Sweeney’s leadership, the college founded the Center for Caribbean Studies at Trinity and became a key partner in the Hartford/East Hartford Innovation Places Planning Team, a program designed to develop the area as a thriving live/learn/work destination through investments and incentives to attract retail and hospitality industries.
“I’m honored and humbled to be named as the Urban League of Greater Hartford’s 2020 Trailblazer,” said Berger-Sweeney. “Our nation is standing together in a reinvigorated fight for equity. We have made great strides to bring us to this moment, but we still have much work ahead of us.”
Additional honorees include:
“As with every EOD, we are excited to highlight our work in the movement, celebrate commitment to equity, and honor leadership in empowerment,” said David Hopkins, president and CEO of the Hartford-based affiliate of the Urban League. “Dr. Berger-Sweeney’s pioneering in her field of study as a neuroscientist and meaningful leadership as president of a college, overcoming systemic and structural barriers as a woman of color, made her a clear choice to receive the Trailblazer Award.”
For more information about the virtual ceremony, go to Urban League of Greater Hartford’s YouTube page.
A traveling environmental justice exhibition created by Trinity College students, faculty members, and community partners will be featured in Trinity’s Mather Hall Art Gallery from April 1 to 29, 2026.
Trinity students recently attended “The Future of the Environment,” a panel discussion hosted by The Connecticut Forum, a nonprofit organization that hosts thoughtful conversations on pressing social, political, and cultural issues.
Trinity College celebrated the International Day of Women and Girls in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) with an event open to both the Trinity and Hartford communities.
Professor of History Scott Gac received a History and Legacies of American Slavery Grant from the Council of Independent Colleges for a project in collaboration with the Stowe Center for Literary Activism.
