Juneteenth Daylong Event

A Vietnam Veteran and Retired Hartford Fire Department Captain, Mr. Harris is currently an active board member of the Hartford Public Library. A passionate humanitarian, he is the recipient of many community accolades, most notably the NAACP Trailblazer Award. A life-long Hartford resident who began to notice changes in his hometown after returning home from the war in 1970, he observed the city change from the multi-ethnic city that was a bustling center of commerce and entertainment of his youth, to witnessing suburban flight of his middle and working class neighbors that coincided with the building of I-84. Mr. Harris has been featured in the Podcast The Road that Killed a City, referenced in the Hartford Courant (state archive).

Mr. Harris will discuss his lived experiences, what Juneteenth means for him as well as his observations of the different worlds between Connecticut’s urban and suburban communities.

Learn about the Amistad Rebellion and participate in an interactive dialogue on racial injustice today. Presented by a representative from Discovering Amistad, an organization that teaches the lessons of the 1839 Amistad Uprising to advance racial and social justice today. Their schooner, The Amistad, is Connecticut’s flagship and serves as a floating classroom to supplement our proprietary in-class and on-line curriculum.

Hear about Berlin’s rich abolitionist history dating back to the mid 1800’s. Recent research has uncovered the town’s ties to the Underground Railroad. In fact, the Honorable Mayor Mark H. Kaczynski recently signed a Proclamation dedicating the Milo Hotchkiss house and its role in sheltering people escaping the hardships of slavery on their way North to freedom. A representative from the Berlin Historical Society will discuss their prized exhibit, the Wide Awakes Lantern, which remains an enduring symbol of the political and social movement to elect Abraham Lincoln and abolish Slavery in 1860.

Enjoy music by Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter​​ Sienna Alexis!