Witness Stones Project, Inc.

Restoring History & Honoring Humanity

#CT43PelegNott

Juneteenth Celebrations Begin with Witness Stones Installation in Old Center Cemetery

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State Rep. Tammy Exum. Juneteenth Witness Stones Project at Old Center Cemetery Photo Credit: Sophie Christensen.

By Sophie Christensen and Lily Guberman on We-Ha.com on June 19, 2021

Even before entering the cemetery, the powerful sound of Afro Caribbean drumming could be heard from a block away. The sounds of the drums traveled far, but they could not overpower the enthusiastic voices of the crowd, about50 people of many ages and backgrounds.

Sixteen speakers each placed a new Witness Stone in the cemetery. Before placing the stones, speakers shared information about the enslaved person’s life. They also shared poems and words of gratitude for the organizers of the Witness Stones Project. Similar sentiments ran through every speech: triumph and joy for Juneteenth’s status as a national holiday, but also sadness and solemn acknowledgement for the history of enslavement in West Hartford. Continue reading.

West Hartford Town Council Approves Procedure for Honorary and Historic Renaming of Public Streets

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Kingswood Oxford student Regina Miller advocates for renaming New Street to honor Peleg Nott, a former enslaved man from West Hartford. Photo credit: Ronni Newton.

By Sophie Christensen on We-Ha.com on June 9, 2021

In a January Letter to the Editor, Aliza Sadiq and Regina Miller (two Kingswood Oxford students) asked the West Hartford Town Council to rename New Street in Blue Back Square. They wish to honor Peleg Nott, who had been enslaved in West Hartford but according to research was an extraordinary man eventually elected to the honorable position of “Black governor.”

After their research for the Witness Stones Project, Aliza and Regina discovered shocking truths about the history of slavery in town. There were about “70 people enslaved in West Hartford alone, which is double the number we thought it was four years ago,” they said in the letter. Continue reading.

Kingswood Oxford Students Make Important Progress in Witness Stones Project

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In the Kingswood Oxford News published on January 21, 2021.

The Witness Stones Project is an ongoing one in the Kingswood Oxford School history department each year that engages the students in authentic, real-world learning. The project seeks to honor the humanity and contributions of the enslaved people who helped build the community we live in today. Since its inception in 2019, students work to build on the work that was done by classmates before them. Each year, different pieces of the puzzle are uncovered, carefully put into place, and a bigger piece of the local historical fabric completed. Continue reading.

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