Immigrants have woven the fabric of America, and Harvard is home to many. Kathleen Doherty and Bryce Mattie-Brown, two Bromfield teachers who believe it is crucial to provide opportunities for students, staff, and community members to learn about others but also to see themselves represented in as many different ways as possible, received a grant from the Harvard Schools Trust to bring a timely photo-text exhibit to Harvard. “Building Bridges: Portraits of Immigrants and Refugees” will be on display at different sites in town throughout May and June. And on May 23, Chantal Kayitesi, a Rwandan genocide survivor whose story perfectly complements the exhibit, will speak at 7 p.m. in the Bromfield School library.
Doherty, who is Bromfield Social Studies Department leader, said she believes that regardless of one’s political feelings and views on immigration, it is important to look at the issue from as many perspectives as possible. And “this exhibit helps both students and adults to do just that,” she said. Mattie-Brown, who teaches global studies and is the program coordinator for Bromfield’s global competency certificate, said the exhibit and the speaker are a perfect fit for her course, which “has at its core the goals of international awareness and an appreciation of cultural diversity.” While the exhibit and the speaker complement the school’s curriculum and core values, Doherty and Mattie-Brown emphasize that these are, above all, community events, and they strongly encourage all those interested to attend, whether or not they have students in elementary or secondary school.
From left: Second-graders Kylie Nguyen, Chloe Bradley, Vivienne Cogan, and Jackie Beauchemin interact with the exhibit. (Courtesy photo)
The exhibit includes photographs of and interviews with people who have come to the United States as immigrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers from all over the world. Created by the award-winning Family Diversity Projects of Amherst, the exhibit seeks to challenge damaging myths and stereotypes about migrants and refugees as a way to prevent bullying and hatred and to create understanding and compassion. “Building Bridges” has been available to the public only since September, and Doherty and Mattie-Brown said they are thrilled that Harvard is one of the first towns to be hosting this exhibit, which features many immigrants and refugees now living in Massachusetts.
The exhibit will be on display at three different venues. It is currently at Hildreth Elementary School until May 15. It will move to Bromfield May 23 for an opening reception and a talk by Kayitesi, who has co-founded survivor and advocacy organizations in both Rwanda and the U.S. The exhibit, which will be in the courtyard gallery located on the first floor below the school library, will be open that evening from 6 to 9 p.m. and will stay until June 6, when it moves to the Harvard Public Library for viewing from June 8 to 15.
This is the third Family Diversity Project exhibit to be featured in Harvard, all initiated by Doherty and funded by a grant from the Harvard Schools Trust. Several years ago, as an adviser to the group then called Gay-Straight Alliance and now Gender & Sexuality Alliance, Doherty brought “All Kinds of Families” to Harvard. More recently, in her capacity as psychology teacher, she arranged for the exhibit “Nothing to Hide: Mental Illness in the Family.” The very positive reception in town for those earlier exhibits is what led her to bring in this new exhibit, Doherty said.
In an email to the Press, Doherty included a quotation about the exhibit from Bill Newman, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts: “‘Building Bridges’ is crucial in this time of political divisiveness. The exhibit, which seamlessly combines exquisite photos with moving text, breaks down stereotypes about immigrants and refugees in a unique and powerful way. It makes an indelible impression on the heart and soul of everyone who sees it.”
