Scholarship Eligibility 

To be eligible for consideration applicants must be:

• Black, African American, and/or Caribbean American and must be a descendant of enslaved people
• Be a U.S. citizen or hold  permanent resident status
• Reside in the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island (Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk)
• Be starting, or continuing to pursue, post-secondary education at an accredited college or university or advanced vocational or trade union training program
• Applicants do not have to be Episcopalian.
• Successful applicants will demonstrate scholarly achievement, leadership skills, involvement in their communities, and a commitment to continuing education.
• Applicants must submit a completed application, high-school transcripts, and two letters of recommendation to HarrisScholars@dioceseli.org by March 31, 2023.

One-time college scholarships of $5,000, and comparable amounts for vocational training/trade apprenticeship fees, will be available to award recipients through their college, university or occupational training institution. Scholarship monies will not be awarded directly to award recipients.

Life & Legacy of BARBARA C. HARRIS

Barbara Clementine Harris was born on June 12, 1930, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Harris, whose maternal great-grandmother, Ida Brauner Sembley, was born into slavery, was active in the Civil Rights Movement of the nineteen sixties. She was a member of the Episcopal Society for Cultural and Racial Unity (ESCRU), and the National Council of Churches’ Delta Ministry. She participated in the Freedom Rides, as well as traveled to Greenville, Mississippi to register Black voters. Harris also marched alongside thousands of nonviolent demonstrators to the steps of the capitol in Montgomery, Alabama as part of the Selma to Montgomery March lead by The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. At the time of her death, March 13, 2020, Harris served as Bishop Suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts. 

Bishop Harris was a remarkable woman; one of God's chosen to bring change and advocate for the inclusion of women, Black people, and LGBTQ+ individuals who had been marginalized and discriminated against. Her advocacy brought about historic change to the Episcopal Church and its leadership hierarchy.

Meet the Reparations Committee

Committee Chair, Penny Allen Grinage, is a life-long member of St. Stephen and St. Martin’s Church in Brooklyn. She has served as a lay leader in her church as both warden and vestry person. She worked for 12 years as an elementary school principal with the NYC Department of Education and retired after 34 years as an educator. She also worked as an adjunct professor for Touro College and as an educational consultant. She holds a Master’s degree in Special Education and a Master’s degree in School Administration and Supervision. She currently serves on the Diocesan Council, the Reparations subcommittee, as a board member of Episcopal Ministries of Long Island (EMLI) and on the Grant Review Committee. She is also active in her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, Inc., and the Union of Black Episcopalians (UBE).

Dr. Dee J. Laffin has been an active member of St. Paul’s Patchogue for 34 years. She has served as a member and Jr. Warden of their Vestry and presently serves on Diocesan Council. Co-chair of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, she most recently was a member of the Bishop’s Taskforce on Reopening. Dr. Laffin holds a Bachelor’s degree from Cornell University, Master’s degrees from the University of Maryland and SUNY Stony Brook, and a Doctorate in Higher Education from Nova Southeastern University.

Merrick K. Williams is a steward of the Cathedral of the Incarnation, and currently serves on The Reparations Committee, a subcommittee of the Diocesan Council at the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island. He formerly served on Racial Justice & Reconciliation Commission. In addition, Williams was appointed to the Task Force that Responds to the Opioid Epidemic; created by a resolution passed at the 79th General Convention of The Episcopal Church. Williams was previously awarded the Church Club of New York’s inaugural Young Adult of the Year Award for Service Recognition.

Linda Watson-Lorde A God-fearing Christian and a devout Episcopalian, Linda Watson-Lorde has been serving in the Brooklyn community of St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church for the past 12 years. After a membership of over twenty years at Calvary & St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church, her contribution to these worshipping communities includes serving as a Eucharistic Minister, Altar Guild and the Youth Ministry, Vestry member, Diocesan Delegate, Parish Treasurer, and the Senior Warden. At the Diocesan level, she served on the Diocesan Council, the Budget Committee, the Board of Camp DeWolfe and the Diocesan Youth Ministry Advisory Council. She has served on the Secretary and Treasurer on the Secretariat of the Long Island Cursillo and a former Administrator for the Teen Encounter Christ (TEC) and the Agape Youth weekends. An EFM graduate, Linda was a Delegate to the 80th General Convention of the Episcopal Church. In her secular community she is the current Executive Secretary of Community Board 9- Brooklyn; a Girl Scout Troop Leader; and volunteers at a number of New York City entities, such as New York Cares and HOPE; and the Barbadian Group at SGEC; Barbados Cancer Association, BACA, USA Inc. to mention a few. A graduate of Brooklyn College with a BA in Political Science, Linda is the Cultural and Community Affairs Officer for the Consulate General of Barbados at New York

Rebecca Maines  is a member of the Cathedral of the Incarnation, where she currently serves as a warden and is active in liturgical and service ministries. She has worked in the publishing industry for the past twenty years, as a managing editor, director of digital publishing, and currently as a freelance editor; she also teaches in the publishing program at the City College of New York, a program initiated by author Walter Mosley with the goal of preparing a diverse student population, especially those who’ve historically been underrepresented, for careers in the industry.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE INAUGURAL BARBARA C. HARRIS SCHOLARS (2022)

At a Juneteenth celebration on June 19 2022 at the Cathedral of the Incarnation, the Right Rev. Lawrence C. Provenzano, Episcopal Bishop of Long Island, awarded scholarships to eight college students with records of academic excellence and commitments to their communities.

The awards were the first scholarships from The Barbara C. Harris Scholars Program that was created this year by the recently formed diocesan Reparations Committee, for Black, African American, or Caribbean American descendants of enslaved people who are pursing higher education or vocational training.

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