Sustaining hope, fostering unity and embracing belonging
Belmont’s Office of Hope, Unity & Belonging (the HUB) was officially dedicated in a ceremony Sept. 4, marking its importance to Belmont’s diverse and beloved community.
Announced in fall 2022, the HUB works to promote an inclusive campus culture through a variety of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) initiatives led by inaugural Vice President for Hope, Unity & Belonging Dr. D’Angelo Taylor and his team.
Faculty, staff and students joined together to celebrate and hear about the work the HUB has done in the last year including spearheading events such as Diversity Week, MLK Week and Black History Month. Attendees toured the space and saw how the HUB’s offices in Gabhart have grown into the vision first established years ago.
Creating a Symphony
University Minister Heather Daugherty opened with a prayer, followed by words from President Greg Jones who spoke about the spirit that motivated the HUB’s creation.
“What D’Angelo is doing, and what all of us need to be committed to, is aiming for the symphony,” Jones said, quoting his successor at Duke Divinity School, Edgardo Colón-Emeric. “We want all the voices, all the live instruments to come together to make beautiful music.”
Inspired by the concept of a symphony, where diverse instruments blend to create beautiful music, the HUB's creators envisioned more than just a physical office. They aimed to cultivate a community of individuals from various backgrounds, united in their commitment to fostering meaningful connections and celebrating diversity.
Taylor also gave remarks, highlighting the three goals of the HUB: sustaining hope, fostering unity and embracing belonging. By leaning on others, focusing on a singular mission and meeting new life stories with gratitude, the HUB creates a vibrant tapestry of diverse voices and campus experiences.
Further, he thanked the team he has worked with to weave this tapestry over the last several years. "This [HUB team] is my symphony,” he said. “We all come from different lived experiences, but when we come together, it’s time to get the job done.”
New Programming from The HUB
Along with the newly dedicated space, Taylor unveiled three new programs to engage with students and faculty across campus.
- The Unity and Belonging fund will provide students and student organizations with funding to create and maintain diverse programming.
- The Student Advisory Council will be a small group of students dedicated to finding new ways to reach the campus community.
- Professional development programs will create opportunities for faculty and staff to request funding for DEIB-focused professional development to achieve professional goals and further their ability to guide their students well.
The dedication was a celebration of the campus’s collective effort to establish, launch and develop the HUB, making it a beacon for belonging at Belmont today.
More than just a physical space, the HUB represents a dynamic initiative that touches every aspect of campus life. The dedication not only formally welcomed the space into the Belmont family but celebrated all the work the HUB has done and will do to make Belmont not just a university, but a symphony of lives committed to one another.