News and Features
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Paying Tribute to the Life of James Mars at a Witness Stone Ceremony in Norfolk
By Patrick L. Sullivan in the TriCornerNews on May 5, 2021 NORFOLK — The life of James Mars was celebrated at the Norfolk Congregational Church on Sunday, May 2, with a ceremony marking the unveiling of a witness stone honoring Mars, the last slave bought or sold in Norfolk. Continue reading.
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James Mars Day
Salisbury School students honor James Mars’s legacy.
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Commemorating History: James Mars Witness Stone Ceremony in Norfolk
By Shaw Israel Izikson in the Winsted Phoenix on May 1, 2021. NORFOLK — A ceremony was held for the unveiling of a Witness Stone for James Mars on Saturday, May 1. According to the Witness Stone project’s website at witnessstonesproject.org, a Witness Stone is a marker that recalls an enslaved individual at a site…
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Salisbury School Students Celebrate James Mars Day
Students at the Salisbury School brought the community together on May 1, 2021, to share their research and reflections on James Mars. Their work was part of a project-based learning course entitled, “Searching for Slavery in Northwest Connecticut,” taught by History Faculty Rhonan Mokriski. The students documented the day with a new website and film.…
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The Three Faces of Slavery in Connecticut
Professor Robert Pierce Forbes discussed The Three Faces of Slavery in Connecticut on April 21, 2021, at the Guilford Free Library. Robert Pierce Forbes, author of The Missouri Compromise and its Aftermath and editor of the forthcoming Thomas Jefferson’s Notes on the State of Virginia: An Annotated Edition talked about Connecticut’s deep connection to slavery:…
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Somerset County Awards Grants to Support Local History Projects
By Mike Deak on MyCentralJersey.com on April 18, 2021 The Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum – General operating funds will aid in the maintenance, enrichment and expansion of programs and outreach, including planning for a new Education and Exhibit Center on the top of Sourland Mountain in Hillsborough, virtual programming for signature events and enhancing…
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An Evening Conversation at Connecticut’s Old State House
Witness Stones Project Founder and Executive Director joined Capitol Region Education Council teacher and Central Connecticut State University Public History graduate student Kaitlyn Oberndorfer for an Evening Conversation at Connecticut’s Old State House. We invite you to watch their conversation: This event was made possible by support from the Greater Hartford Arts Council. The Council…
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The Power of Local History: Commemorating Frank’s Life
By Tracey Wilson on We-Ha.com on April 3, 2021 On Monday, March 29, five members of the Community Witness Stones Class filled a jar with dirt from where Frank (c. 1730-1810) was forced to work by his enslavers. On Albany Avenue, in the woods west of Renbrook School, bordering on the reservoir, the group walked…
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Remarkable Discoveries
By Bill Sullivan in the Suffield Observer on March 30, 2021 The Suffield Historical Society’s April 13 meeting will be devoted to updating our community on intriguing developments regarding the research and installation of two Witness Stones Memorials. The meeting is open to the public, and newcomers are most welcomed. Please attend the 7 p.m. program by…
