WARWICK, RI (February 11, 2022) — In honor of Black History Month, Lieutenant Commander Kasim Yarn, Rhode Island Director of Veterans Affairs, will lead a speaking presentation and discussion on race with the Bishop Hendricken community on Thursday, February 17, 2022 at 9:30am in McNally Gym. Following his presentation, Director Yarn will open up for a Q&A session with the school community.
“Director Yarn’s last visit to Bishop Hendricken was among the most formative and open discussions we’ve had as a school community,” said Richard Sylvia, Dean of Campus Life. “He is masterful at guiding constructive and honest conversations on topics that can sometimes be challenging for us to talk about. We’re incredibly honored to welcome him back to Hendricken.”
Yarn serves as Rhode Island first-ever Director of Veterans Affairs. He spent 20+ years in faithful service to the United States as an active-duty naval officer prior to taking on his current role. Yarn first visited Bishop Hendricken in 2019 for an open forum discussion on mental health, suicide, addiction, race, and gender. Yarn’s presentation introduced an important reminder to the student body: “It’s okay not to be okay.” After sharing his experiences with racial discrimination growing up in Mississippi, his time as a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy, his conversion to Catholicism, and his experience in veterans’ affairs, Yarn fielded questions directly from students on issues important to them.