By Jordan Meadows
Staff Writer
On Thursday morning at Hillside High School, a historically Black high school in Durham, students, educators, and community members came together to unveil the nation’s first Black Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Liberation Hub.
Founded by Kristen Hopkins-Vincent after nearly a decade of development, the Black SEL Hub is a prevention-focused space designed to affirm, uplift, and empower Black students through social-emotional learning and liberation.
Hillside High, already a longtime partner with Black SEL through summer programs and initiatives, is now home to this groundbreaking space that seeks to extend SEL beyond the classroom and into the heart of the community. The launch event on September 25—a date that has since been recognized as Black SEL Day in Durham—marked a milestone not only for the school but for the broader national movement of culturally responsive education.
The full-day celebration featured a keynote by Hillside student and Black SEL Club President Gianna Peterson, along with a panel discussion on innovative leadership and grounding.
Hopkins-Vincent, surrounded by community leaders and supporters, cut the ceremonial ribbon to officially open the Hub. "This is not just hard work, it's heart-work," she said. “Today is a commitment… to those who are saying, ‘I am a changed lady. I am a strong lady.
I am a captain. I am a pioneer for the next generation. And for me, today personally is a healing for my inner self’.“
Designed to meet the holistic needs of Black students, the Hub includes a dedicated curriculum and offers targeted support for students facing in-school suspensions, focusing on emotional regulation and self-awareness.
“We need to let them understand that their emotions control everything that they do,” Hopkins-Vincent said.
The Black SEL Hub is rooted in six core pillars: Black self-concept, lived civics, inclusion of community stakeholders, civic engagement, critical consciousness, and social responsibility. These principles aim to nurture the resilience, leadership, and brilliance of Black youth while addressing the emotional impact of navigating systemic racism.
Eric Moore, the Black SEL research lead, underscored the importance of this work in helping students and adults alike manage emotions and engage effectively with the world.
“Black SEL gives both youth and adults a framework for how to engage and overcome,” he said.
Beyond serving students, the Hub will be a resource for the wider community, hosting workshops, healing circles, and leadership development sessions. Principal Dr. Joshua Mallory praised the new space, saying students have already responded positively to Black SEL initiatives and that the Hub represents a significant next step in sustaining that momentum.
Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams issued a proclamation recognizing September 25, 2025, as 'Black Sel Day.'
