Witness Stones Project, Inc.

Restoring History & Honoring Humanity

#MiddletownCT

The Witness Stones Project Receives Connecticut Humanities “American Rescue Plan” COVID Relief Funding

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Connecticut Humanities, the statewide, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), has awarded the Witness Stones Project a $10,000 CTH SHARP Capacity Grant to support staff development that would allow the Project to broaden and diversity the student audience it serves.

The Project provide research assistance, specialized curriculum, and professional teacher development to bring the history of slavery in Connecticut into middle and high school classes. Since 2017, the Project has grown from serving one school in Guilford, Connecticut, to serving more than thirty schools across the state. With support from Connecticut Humanities, the Witness Stones Project can bring the curriculum to more teachers and students.

The NEH received $135 million from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021, which was approved by Congress this past spring. The state humanities councils, including CT Humanities, each received a portion of the NEH award to support museums, archives, historic sites, and other humanities-focused nonprofits. The Witness Stones Project was one of 69 organizations in Connecticut that was awarded ARP funding totaling $640,192 from CT Humanities. CTH SHARP Capacity Grants provide organizations funding for projects including building their information technology infrastructure, making their collections more accessible, conducting strategic planning, and undertaking inclusivity, diversity, equity, and access work.

“Our cultural nonprofits enrich lives, and it is important that they remain viable and accessible to all residents,” said Dr. Jason Mancini, executive director at CT Humanities.

Support for this project is provided to the Witness Stones Project by CT Humanities (CTH), through the Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan (SHARP) with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this announcement do not necessarily represent those of CT Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.

CT Humanities (CTH) is an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. CTH connects people to the humanities through grants, partnerships, and collaborative programs. CTH projects, administration, and program development are supported by state and federal matching funds, community foundations, and gifts from private sources. Learn more by visiting cthumanities.org.

Witness Stones Project Takes Root In West Hartford

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The Witness Stones Project was present for another milestone today when the Witness Stones West Hartford Project a committee of the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society along with West Hartford Public Schools held their first installation ceremony honoring George and Jude.

Thank you to Tracey Wilson and Liz Devine for shepherding this project, teacher Sean O’Connor inspiring his AP U.S. History class, and most importantly for the students at Conard High School for doing the heavy lifting it takes to: “Restore the history and honor the humanity and contributions of the enslaved individuals, George and Jude, who helped build our communities.”

Thank you to Connecticut Humanities for sponsoring the growth of this project within Connecticut!

Witness Stones Holds First Summer Workshop

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Witness Stones Summer Workshop on the Guilford, CT Green

Last week, the Witness Stones Project conducted its first Teachers’ Workshop inviting educators from West Hartford, Middletown, and Guilford. At the workshop they learned, shared, and discover the project whose aim is to: Restore the History and Honor the Humanity and Contributions of the Enslaved Individuals Who Helped Build Our Communities.

We spoke about Bristow, Mimbo, and Joachim, three of the enslaved persons that our communities have remembered or will remember through the Witness Stones Project. We also spoke of the issues of memory and failing to come to terms with our past. We looked at the documents that uncover the lost history and return the color to the fabric of our community’s history.

Thank you to Connecticut Humanities for funding the workshop with a Quick Grant, the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society for hosting day two of the workshop, and the Middlesex County Historical Society for hosting day three! The expertise of historians and educators from all three communities provided a framework to continue the project in each community.

Especial thanks to Anne Farrow, Debby Shapiro, Tracey Wilson, Liz Devine, Lauren Gullette, Sally Nyhan, Doug Nygren, and Tom Bushnell for leading the discussions. Thank you to our friends at Guilford, Connecticut Park and Rec Department for hosting day one. And an ongoing thank you to the Guilford Preservation Alliance and the Guilford Foundation for their continued support.

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