Wesleyan Provost Calls for Pragmatic Hope in Troubled Times

Nicole Stanton encourages small acts of love, collective imagination, and coalition-building to create change.

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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In a letter to the Wesleyan Argus, Provost Nicole Stanton reflects on her upbringing as the daughter of a civil rights activist and union organizer, and proposes a roadmap for action in our "destabilizing and unprecedented times." Stanton encourages students and community members to do "small things with great love," remain hopeful as an act of resistance, imagine new futures, and build coalitions to enact change.

Why it matters

Stanton's message of pragmatic hope comes at a time of great upheaval, from images of police violence to the rise of authoritarianism both domestically and abroad. Her call to action aims to empower the Wesleyan community and beyond to find purpose and efficacy in the face of despair.

The details

Drawing inspiration from civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and bell hooks, as well as contemporary organizers like Mariame Kaba, Stanton outlines four key steps: doing small things with great love, remaining hopeful as an act of resistance, imagining the worlds we long to live in and embodying them, and building coalitions to expand our reach and make action more effective. Stanton cites the example of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in the 1960s, which worked in coalition with diverse groups to help pass landmark civil rights legislation.

  • Stanton started at Wesleyan as a professor in 2007.
  • Wesleyan's 2016 Commencement address by civil rights attorney Brian Stevenson is referenced.
  • Reverend Jesse Jackson passed away on February 17, 2026.

The players

Nicole Stanton

The Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Wesleyan University, and the author of the letter.

Martin Luther King Jr.

A civil rights activist who is quoted saying "If I cannot do great things, I can do small things greatly."

bell hooks

A black feminist educator who teaches that "The moment we choose love, we begin to move against domination, against oppression. The moment we choose love we begin to move toward freedom."

Mariame Kaba

An activist and organizer who talks about the role of hope as a "discipline" in her work as a prison abolitionist.

Brian Stevenson

A civil rights attorney and the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, who gave Wesleyan's 2016 Commencement address.

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What they’re saying

“We are living in a country that needs more mercy, where we need more hope, where we need more justice.”

— Brian Stevenson, Civil rights attorney (Wesleyan University)

“When I would feel overwhelmed by what was going on in the world, I would just say to myself: 'Hope is a discipline.' It's less about 'how you feel,' and more about the practice of making a decision every day, that you're still gonna put one foot in front of the other… It's work to be hopeful… You have to actually put in energy, time, and you have to be clear-eyed, and you have to hold fast to having a vision…it matters to have it, to believe that it's possible to change the world.”

— Mariame Kaba, Activist and organizer (Wesleyanargus.com)

The takeaway

Stanton's message of pragmatic hope offers a roadmap for the Wesleyan community and beyond to find purpose and efficacy in the face of despair. By doing small acts with great love, remaining hopeful as an act of resistance, imagining new futures, and building coalitions, individuals can work collectively to create more just, sustainable, and emancipating worlds.