The Witness Stones Project, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to restore the history and honor the humanity of the enslaved individuals who helped build our communities, today announced a new affiliation with Regional School District 4. The district will be using the Project’s curriculum and landscape markers to expand their teaching of the history of slavery in colonial Connecticut.
Students will examine primary source documents, such property, church, and vital records; wills and probate inventories; and census data, in order to understand the reality of slavery and to restore the memory of those individuals who were enslaved. They will learn how to document and describe the dehumanization and paternalism of slavery; the economic and legal framework that supported slavery; and, the agency, resistance, and contributions of the enslaved to our local and national history. Finally, these students will be inviting their communities to witness as they install memorial stones for individuals who were enslaved in their towns.
The mission of the Chester, Deep River, and Essex Region 4 Schools is to engage all students in a rigorous and collaborative educational program. They prepare our learners to be respectful citizens who are empowered to contribute in a globalized society.
The Connecticut River Museum’s mission is to lead in the study, preservation and celebration of the cultural and natural heritage of the Connecticut River and its valley. By deepening understanding of the River’s importance to past generations, the Museum will inspire the stewardship of future generations.
The Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut is home to about 60,000 people in over 150 parishes and worshiping communities in the state of Connecticut.
