Witness Stones Project, Inc.

Restoring History & Honoring Humanity

WSP

Student Artwork Exhibit in Somerville, New Jersey

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Gravestones of Friday Truehart’s Sons by Aileen Zhang. Graphite and color pencil. 2022.
By the Hopewell Valley Regional School District on January 20,2024
We are very pleased to share the news that student artwork from the 2022 and 2023 Witness Stones Project is now on display at the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Gallery on the first floor of the county administration building (20 Grove Street in Somerville). This is an exhibit of the student art created to honor Friday Truehart and Frost Blackwell, which is now part of the Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum collection, and will run through the month of February.
HERE is the link to the HVRSD website where you can still view copies of the student artwork in the ceremony programs.
As a school district and community, we are very proud of our students and how their artistic expression is on display in another region in NJ. We are looking forward to this year’s Witness Stones ceremony at the Howell Living Farm honoring the life of the enslaved individual Nance.

Stonington Middle School Students Uncover Story of Enslaved Couple

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Stonington Middle School eighth-grade social studies students attend the United Theatre in Westerly on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024. for a screening of short films they made about Mint and Rose Palmer, two enslaved Stonington residents the students researched through the Witness Stones Project. (Carrie Czerwinski/The Day)

By Carrie Czerwinski in The Day on January 3, 2024

Westerly ― Stonington Middle School students gathered at the United Theatre in Westerly on Tuesday morning to screen short films they made on two enslaved Stonington residents.

The eighth-grade social studies students spent several weeks late last year researching Mintus and Rose Palmer, who married after gaining their freedom in the early 1800s.

The Tuesday morning event showcased eight films created as part of a Witness Stones Project overseen by social studies teachers Cindy Cassidy and Daniel Agins. It was followed by three public screenings Tuesday evening.

Last year, the district received a $5,000 NEA Foundation Envision Equity grant for the program, which was developed by the Witness Stones Project. The non-profit organization started in Guilford in 2017. Continue reading.

Project Receives American Rescue Plan Funding

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As we embrace the holiday spirit and reflect on the remarkable journey of the Witness Stones Project, we are thrilled to share some good news with you.

The Guilford Foundation has recognized the importance of the Witness Stones Project’s mission by awarding us $7500 in federal funding through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). This generous grant is a powerful endorsement of the meaningful work we do together.

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