Scholars selected for the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island’s Barbara C. Harris Scholars Program will be presented with their scholarships by the Rt. Rev. Lawrence C. Provenzano, Bishop of Long Island, during a “Juneteenth Jubilee” on June 20th at 11 am at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Garden City, NY. The event is open to the public; registration is required (sign up using the form below).
Scholarships in the amount of $5,000 will be awarded to college and vocational/technical students demonstrating scholarly achievement and commitment to their communities. All scholars are the descendants of enslaved people who have exhibited exceptional academic excellence and dedicated themselves to creating a more just world through to their communities.
This is the fifth year that scholarships will be awarded through the Barbara C. Harris Scholars Program, established in 2021 by the Reparations Committee of the Diocese of Long Island. Created specifically for Black, African American, or Caribbean American descendants of enslaved people pursuing higher education or vocational training, this program seeks to break down financial barriers that have hindered the educational aspirations of these scholars.
The selection process is rigorous, with applications received and evaluated through three rounds by the diligent Reparations Committee, led by Penny Allen Grinage. Their vision is to expand and perpetuate this program annually, extending support to even more deserving students who are passionate about furthering their education. To learn more, click here.
We invite you to join us for this wonderful celebration of scholarship and justice.
About our Preacher
The Rt. Rev. Geralyn "Gerry" Wolf, Assistant Bishop of Long Island, was ordained in 1977 in the Diocese of Pennsylvania where she served two curacies before becoming the vicar of an inner city parish in Philadelphia. In 1987, she became the Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, Louisville, Kentucky, and oversaw the planning of an extensive renovation of the Cathedral. In 1995, she was elected the twelfth Bishop of the Diocese of Rhode Island, where she served for 17 years.
Bishop Wolf was the liturgist for the House of Bishops when the Most Rev. Frank Griswold, was the presiding bishop. Her work in this field had a strong impact on all her ministries.
Bishop Wolf has done extensive work in urban ministry, especially with soup kitchens, thrift shops, and the homeless. Her book, Down and Out in Providence, was a result of spending thirty days as a homeless person.
As a young adult she was a member of the United States Field Hockey team that represented our country in Argentina, and a locally ranked tennis player.
Bishop Wolf and her husband, Tom Bair, retired in 2012, and moved to Manhattan in August of 2015. While in retirement, Bishop Wolf shares a small studio in Brooklyn where she makes whimsical characters and animals out of wood and found objects. Both she and Tom were born in New York; he in Utica, and she in Brooklyn.