Who are we? What defines us? What has our journey been and how has it shaped who we are? Does our identity evolve? These are a few of the questions that will be addressed at Harvard Community Conference 2018: Identity, on Saturday, Feb. 10, at Town Hall.
I’m J Woolcock, a senior at Bromfield. I decided to organize a conference for my senior project when I was in 10th grade after attending TEDxISKL at my school in Malaysia. I loved the idea of a conference that brings together so many different people and topics under a single uniting theme. During my junior year at Bromfield, I considered my options for a theme and eventually settled on “identity.” Whether it affects our daily lives or not, we all have multiple identities that influence one another in different ways. Each of these in turn influences the people we interact with to create the multilayered and diverse fabric of people that we call “society.” The experiences I’ve had that led me to identify as I do today—a nonbinary person, a Christian, a Ravenclaw; the list goes on—have time and time again reminded me of the power that our stories have when they are shared both within and outside of our communities.
HC2 stands for Harvard Community Conference and is co-hosted by Arm in Arm, a town group of which I am a part, formed “to foster community diversity, inclusion, and respect.” Arm in Arm has hosted events such as the “A Rabbi, a Priest, and an Imam Walk Into … ” religion discussion panel and Gish Jen’s presentation of her book “The Girl at the Baggage Claim” since its formation in November 2016. The group is delighted to support this project.
Organizing HC2 has allowed me to meet so many new people and to get to know old friends much better. I have heard countless interesting stories from the many different people who have helped with this project, and I am incredibly excited to share their stories with the community in what I hope will be an educational and thought-provoking event.
HC2 features an impressive lineup of speakers who will present their stories and identities on personal, local, and global levels. The goal of the conference is to address what “identity” means to us as individuals and as a whole community in the context of Harvard and the world. The speakers will be discussing a wide range of topics, including:
- what it’s like to grow up transgender
- what it means to be an immigrant woman of color
- the impact that names have on our personality
- how a lifetime of loss can affect (or not affect) who we are
- and much more!
The event will be held Saturday, Feb. 10, in the upper Town Hall from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. HC2 will feature nine speakers as well as several performers. Please register in advance to reserve your seat and lunch. Admission is free. The registration form and more information can be found on the HC2 website: http://bit.ly/2BpVIsn.
J Woolcock is a member of the Arm in Arm Education of Cultures Committee, which includes Ellen Sachs Leicher, Suraiya Suliman, Raiya Suliman, Susan Ostberg, Sarah Saleh, and Linda Davis.
