With Climate Justice Week, Anna Del Castillo, MDiv ’21, Brings Hope Into Grief
Del Castillo has stayed close to HDS since graduating, and she is now a climate justice researcher at Religion and Public Life, where she explores the role religion and spirituality play in the movement for environmental justice. Her work resides at the intersection of religion, climate, and racial justice, and she helps provide resources and opportunities for members of the HDS community to engage with climate justice.
“If I could describe my research, it is listening to students and thinking about how we could innovate ways for students who come through the doors of HDS to feel ready to tackle the climate catastrophe,” Del Castillo explains. “My other role that I just love so much and will continue to be part of my vocation is as a diversity, inclusion, and belonging practitioner.”
Del Castillo is currently leading DIB strategy and initiatives at HubSpot, a Cambridge-based company. These leadership experiences at HDS and in Cambridge have led Del Castillo to a new endeavor: Spearheading the HDS Climate Justice Week, April 10-14.
After inaugurating the fireside salons with HDS Writer-in-Residence Terry Tempest Williams in 2021, which was a small gathering space for grief-centered conversations and processing the impact of climate change, Del Castillo saw clearly that students were craving opportunities to go deeper with the conversation on climate justice and connect with one another on the matter.
Del Castillo called Williams one day with a new proposal: “I was like, we should just have a climate day at HDS where we can have these awesome speakers and do creative events.”
Williams took it a step further and suggested a full week.
“What is really beautiful about Climate Justice Week is that it’s a mosaic of the wisdom, appetite, and magic of HDS.”
Del Castillo and the rest of the leadership team hosted listening sessions with students and faculty engaged in climate-adjacent work from across HDS, while also communicating with every office at the School.
“The climate crisis is a deeply spiritual crisis that highlights the disconnection between not only our own species, humans, but also from all other species that exist on this planet. My intent for Climate Justice Week was to say, how can we really root in community and root in bonds with each other?”
Read more about Anna Del Castillo's work in HDS article, "With Climate Justice Week, Anna Del Castillo, MDiv ’21, Brings Hope Into Grief."
Climate Justice Week at HDS is April 10-14. More information on the events and timeline can be found on the HDS website.