Recording of Anthony Ray Hinton Event Now Available
It’s not every day that a webinar can move an entire community to tears. The offices of DEI and Student Leadership and Engagement closed out Black History Month by hosting Mr. Anthony Ray Hinton last Thursday, February 29. Mr. Hinton, who spent 29 years on Alabama’s death row as a victim of wrongful conviction, shared his powerful story with the NOVA community. Many attendees were moved to tears when they learned of the heart-wrenching injustices Mr. Hinton had endured, along with his enduring faith and commitment to forgiveness.
Hear what those in our community had to say about this special event:
- “This was the most inspiring, motivating and relevant event I have attended at NOVA. THIS is what I was hoping to experience in college, and I’m beyond thankful that we got the opportunity to feel connected and encouraged at a community college. Thank you.” — current student
- “What a moving and inspiring presentation. We need more speakers like him who are forgiving but not forgetting. We need to be reminded that we have work to do! We cannot afford to be complacent.” — classified staff member
- “Mr. Hinton’s talk was very moving, so much so that it is hard to put into words. Although I was familiar with his story from reading Just Mercy, hearing about his life presently taught me about what it means to move forward and keep going. The way he has been able to alchemize his experiences and stay determined to make a difference in our society is beyond inspiring. Great event!” — classified staff member
- “I was still in tears at the start of my next meeting. This was very powerful, and I will be donating to the Equal Justice Initiative. This is one of the best webinars I have been to in a long time.” — admin/professional faculty
- “Mr. Hinton’s talk aligned perfectly with some of the themes my class identified while reading Between the World and Me. My students were also impressed with Mr. Hinton’s call to action to vote.… I love the programming that NOVA provides.” — adjunct faculty
- “It was eye-opening to hear the injustice done to [Mr. Hinton], and I was blown away by his strength to stand by the truth no matter what. Also, we need more people like Bryan Stevenson, who willingly get close to those in need and do all they can to help them. We have so much work to do in our country. My class and I were lucky to view this incredibly important discussion. I hope we have more [events] like this at our school.” — full-time faculty
- “To be candid, it was difficult for me to process all that Mr. Anthony Ray Hinton had gone through. I couldn’t cease to weep [from] the very beginning to the end of [his] speech. However, I am committed to making changes in my life and the lives of others. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to DEI and all the NOVA faculty for their time and efforts.” — current student
Get your tissues ready — the video of Mr. Hinton’s presentation is now available. Access the recording by logging into the DEI Common Read Canvas course sites. Separate sites are available for faculty/staff and for students. Use the following links to enroll if you have not done so already:
You should see an orange button that says, “Click Here to Watch.” The passcode is listed in the text above the button. Please note that the recording is available only for the NOVA community and requires logging in. Please do not share the link or passcode to anyone outside of NOVA.
Several individuals who filled out the event evaluation noted that they have not yet received their free copy of Just Mercy. We have plenty of copies left! Any NOVA student, staff member or faculty member can receive their free copy in their campus library. If you need the book mailed to you, please fill out the form here with your info and select the option “I am a remote student/faculty and need my book mailed to me.”
If you are interested in joining the DEI Common Read working group for next year, please email Dr. Sherrene DeLong at SDeLong@nvcc.edu.
Our deepest gratitude goes to Mr. Hinton for his powerful words and sincere vulnerability, as well as for motivating us to live in the tension between forgiveness and the fight for justice.
Submitted by:
Dr. Sherrene DeLong, DEI Events Coordinator, SDeLong@nvcc.edu