Somerset County provided support for the Witness Stones research and memorialization of Henry Staats. We invite you to visit their website to see more photos from the installation ceremony.
Witness Stones
Unforgotten: Connecticut’s Hidden History of Slavery
Slavery has deep roots in Connecticut and across New England. Get to know some of these men, women and children and the lives they lived. Hear from descendants and learn from historians and students going on a journey of discovery to uncover history. We’re very proud to have the Witness Stones Project’s work featured in this Connecticut Public special series.
Longmeadow to Bear Witness to the Lives of Two Enslaved People
By Sarah Heinone in the The Reminder on March 6, 2024
LONGMEADOW — This May, two of the 16 people who were known to be enslaved in Longmeadow will have their lives and stories memorialized in stone.
First Church of Christ of Longmeadow hosted a presentation by Dennis Culliton, founder of the Witness Stones Project, on Feb. 29.
He provided historical records of Massachusetts’ participation in the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. Culliton explained how, in the 1700s, the enslavement of Native Americans was phased out due to the likelihood of them running away and disappearing into forests they knew well. Instead, enslaved people from Africa and the Caribbean, unfamiliar with the area and without nearby friendly communities, were bought to be used for labor. Continue reading.
