Restoring History & Honoring Humanity
By Bill Sullivan,
The Suffield Historical Society hosted Dennis Culliton, chair and co-founder of the Witness Stones Project, during three online classes during October. Using a document-based approach to understanding slavery in colonial New England, Culliton helped the class build a narrative about an enslaved woman named Tamar by examining a bill of sale document, a marriage record, and other historical records. Continue reading.
From the Foote School News published September 17, 2020
Humanities teachers Sheila Lavey and Skye Lee made an exciting connection with the Witness Stones Project. Modeled after the Stolperstein in Europe—stone cubes with the names and life dates of victims of Nazi extermination—the Witness Stones Project places similar cubes at norther locations where individuals were enslaved. Seventh graders were introduced to the project by Dennis Culliton, director of the Guilford-based Witness Stones Project, and Khail Quotap, Director of Education at New Haven Museum. The goal is for Foote seventh graders to help place a Witness Stone at the Pardee-Morris House in New Haven this June as a tribute to Pink, an enslaved woman who was held there.
The Witness Stones Project was present for another milestone today when the Witness Stones West Hartford Project a committee of the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society along with West Hartford Public Schools held their first installation ceremony honoring George and Jude.
Thank you to Tracey Wilson and Liz Devine for shepherding this project, teacher Sean O’Connor inspiring his AP U.S. History class, and most importantly for the students at Conard High School for doing the heavy lifting it takes to: “Restore the history and honor the humanity and contributions of the enslaved individuals, George and Jude, who helped build our communities.”
Thank you to Connecticut Humanities for sponsoring the growth of this project within Connecticut!
