Witness Stones Project, Inc.

Restoring History & Honoring Humanity

Witness Stones Installation Ceremony

Connecticut Project Lays Stones to Commemorate Former Enslaved People

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A ceremony part of the Witness Stone Project honored the lives of emancipated slaves Lucy and Lois Tritton at the Trinity Church on the Green in New Haven, Conn. on June 2, 2022. Nicole Funaro / Hearst Connecticut Media.

By Andrew DaRosa in the Connecticut Post on

Gathered at the Trinity Church on the Green in New Haven one early June morning, students and community leaders came together as part of a ceremony to honor the lives of emancipated slaves Lucy and Lois Tritton.

The Trittons were purchased at an auction in 1825 by abolitionist Anthony P. Sanford, who subsequently freed them. The sisters were the last two enslaved individuals to be auctioned in the city of New Haven, according to the Trinity Church.

This event was just one among many hosted by the Witness Stones Project, a Guilford-based organization whose mission it is to “honor the humanity of enslaved individuals.” The organization works with kids from K-12 and crafts projects that have students and teachers analyze primary-source documents and other curriculum to better understand the lives of enslaved individuals in the state. The culmination of each project is the laying of Witness Stone Memorials, which honor the life of a specific enslaved individual relevant to the area where the stone is placed. Continue reading.

West Hartford 2022 Juneteenth

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By Ronni Newtown in We-Ha.com on June 13, 2022

West Hartford observed Juneteenth for the first time in 2020, and on Sunday – which is actually June 19th – the town will host its third annual celebration of the day marking the effective end of slavery in the United States.

On June 19, 1865, the last group of enslaved people in Galveston, TX were freed by the Union Army – more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring freedom for all who had been enslaved.

“We are so excited to be hosting our third Juneteenth event,” said Adrienne Billings-Smith, chair of the town’s Juneteenth Committee. “Every year the community has come out to support something so significant that many of us didn’t know about it until recent years.” Continue reading.

Witness Stones Project Installation Ceremony to Honor Nimrod Benedict

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On May 31, 2022, students from the Wooster School gathered at the Long Ridge United Methodist Church to remember and honor the life of Nimrod Benedict.

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