Restoring History & Honoring Humanity
Students at the Salisbury School brought the community together on May 1, 2021, to share their research and reflections on James Mars. Their work was part of a project-based learning course entitled, “Searching for Slavery in Northwest Connecticut,” taught by History Faculty Rhonan Mokriski.
The students documented the day with a new website and film. We invite you to take a look here.
The Litchfield County Times on March 25, 2021
SALISBURY — Noble Horizons will host “The Life and Times of James Mars: The Story of a Connecticut Slave,” a virtual presentation, on April 1 at 7:15 p,m.
Registration for this free Zoom program is at noblehorizons.org.
Salisbury history teacher Rhonan Mokriski and his students will discuss their extensive research into the buried story of James Mars and other Black American slaves in Connecticut that have been hidden from history for over a century, an announcement said. As Mokriski explained, “We believe that efforts like this will help refute the impression that American history is inherently white.” Continue reading.
By James King, Library Director at Salisbury School, published by the Atlantic Black Box Project on March 5, 2021
James Mars didn’t complain of “many things,” but one thing troubled him his entire life: the lack of “opportunity to go to school as much as I should, for all the books I ever had in school were a spelling-book, a primer, a Testament, a reading-book called Third Part, and after that a Columbian Orator.” Mr. Mars would go on to write his own book and it seems a fitting tribute to this remarkable man for his story to now further the education of others.
When Salisbury School history teacher Rhonan Mokriski asked me to help with the Searching for Slavery course, I was thrilled to take part. As the school’s librarian, I had worked with the history department on multiple occasions and was excited about the prospect of a more extensive collaboration. Over the last year, my contribution to the class has been in three parts: finding, providing, and showcasing research resources and media creation applications; researching with students during class time; and contributing articles and comments to the class’s Microsoft Teams channel. Continue reading.