In its second year, the Greenwich Historical Society’s annual “Shining a Light” Lecture Series offers riveting stories from distinguished individuals on topics that have shaped the history of Greenwich and New England. Dedicated to elevating and amplifying underrepresented voices in history, the three-part virtual series features speakers who are dedicated to interpreting, restoring and preserving these histories.
The initiative speaks to situations and events behind many of the themes that are shaping the nation’s narrative, including race, oppression, identity and equality.
“We are proud to shine a light on activists and humanitarians who are actively involved in ensuring these stories and events are recognized as part of our local history so that current and future generations can learn from them,” says Greenwich Historical Society’s Public Programs Manager Stephanie Barnett. “The program aligns perfectly with the Historical Society’s mission of preserving and interpreting Greenwich’s history and strengthening the community’s connection to the past, to each other and to the future.”
‘Shining a Light’ Lecture Series
March 24, 2022
The Witness Stones Project: Restoring History, Honoring Humanity
Speaker: Dennis Culliton
M.A.T., C.A. G.S., and Founder and Executive Director, The Witness Stones Project
Virtual Event
6:00 – 7:15pm
Dennis Culliton will explore the economic and legal framework that supported slavery in our region based on extensive research into primary source analysis conducted by the Witness Stones Project, an organization he founded in 2017 that is committed to restoring the honor, humanity and contributions of enslaved individuals who helped build local communities. He will be joined by Greenwich Historical Society Manager of Youth and Family Programs Heather Lodge who will highlight the history of enslavement at the Bush-Holley House and illuminate the agency, resistance, and contributions of the enslaved who lived there.
For more information and to register: https://greenwichhistory.org/event/dennis-culliton/
April 7,2022
Bridgeport’s Little Liberia: The Importance of African American Historic Preservation
Speaker: Maisa Tisdale
President, CEO of the Mary & Eliza Freeman Center for History and Community
Virtual Event
6:00 – 7:15 pm
Maisa Tisdale’s talk will focus on the fascinating story of Little Liberia, once a prosperous seafaring community of people of color in Bridgeport, and ongoing efforts to restore and preserve this historic area. A prominent activist who advocates for historic preservation and the creation of a healthier built environment in Bridgeport’s South End, Ms. Tisdale founded The Mary & Eliza Freeman Center for History and Community to teach the history of Connecticut Blacks, revitalize the South End community and restore, preserve and ensure the viability of prominent homes once owned by the accomplished Freeman sisters. Ms. Tisdale will discuss the significance of these homes, the preservation and revitalization efforts of the Center throughout Bridgeport and the status of the Little Liberian community today.
For more information and to register: https://greenwichhistory.org/event/maisa-tisdale/
April 21
The Diseased Ship: A Cautionary Tale of New England’s Twin Plagues
Speaker: Dr. Meadow Dibble
Director of Community-Engaged Research at the Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous, and Tribal Populations
Executive Director, Atlantic Black Box, and Brown University Visiting Scholar, Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice
Virtual Event
6:00 – 7:30 pm
Join Dr. Dibble as she recounts the tragic 1819 voyage of a ship’s nearly year-long journey from Boston to West Africa and the West Indies that only a few crew members were fortunate to survive. The dramatic story features a prominent Yankee sea captain, a tragedy on the high seas, a viral outbreak, a major political cover up, and a conspiracy of silence that has lasted two centuries surrounding New England’s involvement in the slave trade. By following these historical threads into the present day, Ms. Dibble allows us to consider the ways in which our region’s repressed history of complicity with the business of slavery relates to our current national conversations about race, privilege, identity, and access to the American dream.
For more information and to register: https://greenwichhistory.org/event/meadow-dibble/
