Witness Stones Project, Inc.

Restoring History & Honoring Humanity

In The Media

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.

Bearing Witness at Wayside Cottage

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Wayside Cottage courtesy of the Junior League of Central Westchester

By Todd Sliss in the Scarsdale Inquirer on April 6, 2023

History doesn’t change. What we learn about history does and how we view it over time certainly evolves. And while some people and groups are trying to bury history, others are trying to unearth it.

The Junior League of Central Westchester (JLCW), a nonprofit educational women’s volunteer organization based out of the Wayside Cottage in Scarsdale since taking stewardship of the historic house in 1953, has partnered with Witness Stones Project to uncover the true history of the people who called the Cottage home.

Witness Stones Project (www.witnessstonesproject.org) was founded by now-retired schoolteacher Dennis Culliton, who initially was looking for a way to educate his students in Guilford, Connecticut, about the local history of slavery. Witness Stones Project was inspired by Stolpersteine in Germany, which has put over 70,000 stones in the ground where Jewish people were last known to live or work freely prior to the Holocaust. Continue reading.

Social Studies ConneCTion

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Social studies leaders Steve Armstrong and Tony Roy connect with educators and advocates from across the state on their Social Studies ConneCTion podcast. Witness Stones Project founder and Executive Director joined them for a fascinating discussion on how school districts across Connecticut embark on a journey into our state’s dark past. Dennis’s work in the Witness Stones Project not only commemorates the lives of those who endured enslavement but works to honor those of the past and help students and educators appreciate localized history coming to life. We invite you to listen to the episode here.

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