Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation

Hope College’s TRHT Campus Center is guided by our faith and the TRHT framework, both of which lead us to embrace our common humanity, learn to see ourselves in one another, and approach difficult issues through the lens of empathy and compassion.

An initiative of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, “the Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT) effort seeks to help communities embrace racial healing and eliminate conscious and unconscious beliefs in a hierarchy of human value.” ^[1]

The TRHT framework includes the pillars of narrative change, racial healing and relationship-building, separation, law, and economy. The American Association of Colleges & Universities is partnering with the Kellogg Foundation to create TRHT Campus Centers at 150 colleges and universities.

TRHT Resources

Racial Healing Circles

The Rx Racial Healing Circle methodology is a key element of the TRHT initiative focused on connecting on a human level.

The circle is an experiential process by which, through story-telling and deep listening, we can embrace our common humanity, learn to see ourselves in one another, and approach difficult issues through the lens of empathy and compassion.

The circles embrace Hope’s Virtues of Public Discourse, including humility to listen, hospitality to welcome, patience to understand, courage to challenge, and honesty to speak the truth in love.

Through the circle experience, we have an opportunity to come together to listen and learn and expand our understandings of our differences and commonalities. It is one of the most impactful ways for us to see one another and for our stories to be told.

The Structure

These circles utilize the Rx Racial Healing Circles methodology and structure developed by Dr. Gail C. Christopher, Executive Director of the National Collaborative for Health Equity (NCHE).

The circle structure incorporates multiple segments, including a circle opening and closing, an introductory segment, group agreements, re-introductory prompt(s) and deep reflection prompt(s). Participants are encouraged to share their authentic stories in dyads as well as in small- and large-group settings.

Circles can be designed to meet specific objectives, thus all circles are different and may focus on a broad base of topics. According to Dr. Christopher, “Perhaps most important, Rx Racial Healing Circles are not ‘conversations about race’ […] The healing circle approach makes storytelling a powerful action. The focus, attention, and deep listening generate changes in perception that help challenge racial biases and preconceived ideas” (Rx Racial Healing, p. 46).

Hope Racial Healing Circle Co-facilitators

Zoe Abadi, Philanthropy and Engagement
Robin Afrik, Education, Ottawa County DEI Office
Aliana Alvarez Gomez, Student
Elizabeth Bassett, Student
Kristyn Bochniak, Residential Life and Housing
Michelle Bombe, Theater
Carrie Bredow, Psychology Department
Courtney E. Brewster, Philanthropy and Engagement
Susan Ipri Brown, Engineering Department
Sara Cerda, Student
Carole Chee, Student
Reagan Chesnut, Computing and Information Technology
Maya Clawson, Student
Shonn Colbrunn, Boerigter Center for Calling and Career
Heather Cornell, Dance Department
Nina Cuthrell, Student
Carrie Dattels, Disability and Accessibility Resources
Leilani Davila, Student
Molly DePew, Residential Life and Housing
Montserrat Dorantes, Student Congress, Culture and Inclusion
Anita Esquerra-Zwiers, Nursing Department
Kristen Gonzalez, Student
Charles Green, Psychology Department
Andrea Hernandez, Student
John Jobson, Student Development
Mary Kamara-Hagemeyer, Student
Kenedy Kiefer, Residential Life and Housing
CJ Kingdom-Grier, Kingdom-Grier & Associates, ACEH
Lydia Konings, Student
Marla Lunderberg- English Department
Dina Matchinsky, Admissions
Pablo Peschiera, English Department
Kate Ralston, Alumni and Family Engagement
Holly Ritter, Residential Life and Housing
Shannon Schans, Boerigter Center for Calling and Career
Aaron Schantz, Counseling and Psychological Services
Matt Scogin, President, Hope College
Ashton Shelton, Alumni and Family Engagement
Lauren Slone, Psychology Department
Thomas Sura, English Department
Elexis Taylor, Residential Life and Housing
Amber Tejeda-Nier, Culture and Inclusive Excellence
Luong Tran, Student
Sonja Trent-Brown, Culture and Inclusive Excellence
Casandra Virola, Student
Margo Walters, Center for Diversity and Inclusion
Kristine Watson, Registrar's Office
Paul Willard, Public Affairs and Marketing
Jevon Willis, Center for Diversity and Inclusion
Laura Zak, Student
Amanda Zawila, Bookstore

Representing Our Racial Healing Circle Participants

The intentionally stewarded nature of the Racial Healing Circle space leads us not to include names of persons who have participated in the circles; however, we still want to recognize their contributions to relationship-building and sharing their authentic stories with one another. To that end, here is a representation of the healing circles that have been conducted at Hope utilizing the Racial Healing Circle methodology:

March 2023 - 53 circle participants (4 circles)
February 2023 - Professional Development Day - 14 participants (1 circle)
January 2023 - 11 circle participants (1 circle)
November 2022 – 25 circle participants (2 circles)
Pre-College Conference 2022 – 60 circle participants (3 circles)
August 2022 – 30 circle participants (2 circles)
July 2022 – 24 circle participants (1 circle)
May 2022 – 17 circle participants (1 circle)
March 2022 – 76 circle participants (3 circles)
January 2022 – 21 circle participants (1 circle)
August 2021 - 10 circle participants (1 circle)

Racial Healing Circle interest form

At Hope College, we recognize that we are all bearers of God’s image. As members of a faithful community, we welcome and value one another as created and loved by God.

AAC&U TRHT Institute

In 2018, AAC&U began hosting the annual TRHT Campus Centers Institute. Hope College began participating in 2020.

2020 Participants

Core Team

Robyn Afrik, Ottawa County DEI Office
Montserrat Dorantes, Student Congress, Culture and Inclusion
Charles Green, Psychology
Vanessa Greene, Center for Diversity and Inclusion
CJ Kingdom-Grier, Kingdom-Grier & Associates, ACEH
Anthony Aragon Oroszco, Student Congress, Culture and Inclusion
Sonja Trent-Brown, Culture and Inclusive Excellence, Psychology

Additional Participants

Tom Bylsma, Business and Finance
Llena Chavis, Social Work
Charles Cusack, Mathematics & Computer Science
Carla Davis, Human Resources
Sara Dorer, Equal Opportunity & Compliance
Amy Freehafer, Boerigter Center for Calling and Career
Janis Gibbs, History
Fara Ling, Student
Virginia McDonough-Stukey, Biology
Pablo Peschiera, English
Mary Remenschneider, President’s Office
Shannon Schans, Boerigter Center for Calling and Career
Matthew Scogin, President
Kasey Stevens, Phelps Scholars Program
Day Tripp, Student
Scott VanderStoep, Dean for Social Sciences
Jordan VanHemert, Music
Margo Walters, Center for Diversity and Inclusion

NOTE: In 2020, AAC&U shifted the institute to a virtual convening due to COVID-19 health precautions. Because of this shift, accepted institutions were invited to expand the number of attendees to a larger group than the usual five- to seven-member Core Team.

2021 Participants

Core Team

Andrea Hernandez, Student Congress, Culture and Inclusion
Mary Kamara-Hagemeyer, Student Congress, Culture and Inclusion
CJ Kingdom-Grier, Kingdom-Grier & Associates, ACEH
Kamara Sudberry, Alumni and Family Engagement
Amber Tejeda-Nier, Culture and Inclusive Excellence
Sonja Trent-Brown, Culture and Inclusive Excellence, Psychology
Jevon Willis, Center for Diversity and Inclusion

2022 Participants

Core Team

Andrea Hernandez, Student Congress, Culture and Inclusion
CJ Kingdom-Grier, Kingdom-Grier & Associates, ACEH
Dina Matchinsky, Admissions
Amber Tejeda, Culture and Inclusive Excellence
Sonja Trent-Brown, Culture and Inclusive Excellence, Psychology
Margo Walters, Center for Diversity and Inclusion
Jevon Willis, Center for Diversity and Inclusion

2023 Participants

Core Team

Sara Cerda, Student Congress, Culture and Inclusion
Paulena Khorn, Center for Diversity and Inclusion
CJ Kingdom-Grier, Kingdom-Grier & Associates, ACEH
Amber Tejeda-Nier, Culture and Inclusive Excellence
Sonja Trent-Brown, Culture and Inclusive Excellence, Psychology
Margo Walters, Center for Diversity and Inclusion
Jevon Willis, Center for Diversity and Inclusion

1 – From the TRHT website