UNO…and counting!
Celebrate HTI Open Plaza’s first anniversary with our top 12 picks of the year
Photo: Daria Besedina
In honor of crossing our one-year mark, HTI Open Plaza revisits some of the conversations we've published on this platform.
Open Plaza would not exist without contributions from our vibrant community of scholars, activists, and clergy. Many of the podcasts and blogs were created during workshops in Morelos, Mexico and at Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, New Jersey. Contributors also generously squeezed in podcast recordings during the 2019 American Academy of Religion and the Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meetings in San Diego, California, where Open Plaza made its official debut.
Months later, the 2020 pandemic forced us to change course and create content, normally generated during HTI gatherings throughout the year, via Zoom. Circumstances that at first seemed like limitations paved the way for us to speak to challenging times with the CO-VIDA 19 and the AfroSpiritus series. We were also able to launch our video series OPTalks, as previously planned.
The mosaic of faces on our En Conjunto page is a testimonio to the collaborative spirit of HTI members and those they bring along. A moving example is Dr. Elías Ortega-Aponte’s “Centering Rituals,” a three-week sequence of Instagram posts that “faith the moment” in response to the pandemic; psychotherapist Dr. Annecy Báez incorporated these rituals into her practice by organizing Centering Group for Creative Coping meetups focused on “the healing power of present-moment authentic interactions.”
Our birthday wish is that 2021 will bring even more opportunities for us to work together. Open Plaza continues to seek contributors for blogs, podcasts, and video chats. We want to hear from you and from people you think should join our conversations. We welcome contributors from all walks of life, across all disciplines.
Submit your divine ideas via our Submissions page or email us at htiopenplaza@gmail.com.
In the meantime, enjoy the top 12 picks of our inaugural year from the dedicated team at Open Plaza.
