Harmony on the Hill—a group formed last year to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the murder of Carole Stuart—is this year offering a scholarship fund for Mission Hill residents.
The fund will provide up to $500 for Hill residents seeking “any type of post-high school education or training,” Harmony on the Hill founder Ron Bell told the Gazette.
Bell said he is soliciting different nonprofits and faith-based organizations around the hill for nominees for scholarships. “We really want to make sure we represent the Hill,” he said.
The scholarship application deadline is Oct. 1.
Harmony on the Hill was founded in 2010 with the goal of examining race relations on Mission Hill at the 20th anniversary of Stuart’s murder. Stuart was murdered by her husband, Charles Stuart, on the Hill in 1990.
Charles Stuart claimed the crime was committed by a black man during a carjacking. That led to a heavy-handed police crackdown against black males living on the Hill. Roxbury resident William Bennett was arrested for the murder, but then released when it came out that Stuart had killed his wife.
Last year, Harmony on the Hill hosted a series of workshops, trainings and other events that gave residents the opportunity to discuss and reflect on the legacy of the Stuart case and how race relations have changed on the Hill since 1990.
Bell told the Gazette that Harmony on the Hill hopes to make the scholarship program permanent.
To apply for the Harmony on the Hill Scholarship, visit the Mission Hill Health Movement office at 1534 Tremont St. or mhhm.org.