Prudence Crandall's Legacy by Donald E. Williams

     UPDATE: Don Williams's presentation on the Legacy of Prudence Crandall via zoom on June 14th was very well received by his audience.  Click here to view the video of the event (the password is 5K?*7qk^).
     This is the third event in the eight events that make up the Town of Thompson's Six Months of Suffrage.  Next up is a concert in Riverside Park, Tyra Penn and The Snakes of Amazonia, will perform on July 17th at 6:30 p.m.  A voter registration drive will be held as part of this event as  well.
     A full list of events can be found on the Town's website by clicking here.

June 14 - 4:00pm
“Prudence Crandall’s Legacy”
Participate from home via Zoom
Don Williams, author and presenter

     A discussion of Connecticut’s state heroine, and her role in the antislavery and American civil rights movements. Crandall opened a school for young women in Canterbury, in 1831. It was an immediate success. After her first full year, a young black woman, Sarah Harris, asked if she could enroll at the school. Crandall’s decision to integrate her school resulted in racist action by the state legislature, protests, and vandalism. Crandall was arrested, and the first full-throated civil rights court case in American history took place in northeastern Connecticut.

     Learn about Crandall’s life and journey, the allies who supported her and worked for equality and change throughout their lives, and her legacy. Crandall’s court case influenced two pivotal U.S. Supreme Court cases—one paved the way for the Civil War, and the other helped end segregation in public schools.

     About the presenter: Donald Williams researched Prudence Crandall for eight years and wrote the book, Prudence Crandall’s Legacy— The Fight For Equality In The 1830s, Dred Scott, and Brown v. Board of Education, published by Wesleyan University in 2014. An attorney and former journalist, Williams served as President of the Connecticut State Senate, Thompson First Selectman, and is currently the Executive Director of the Connecticut Education Association. Don and his family reside in Brooklyn, Connecticut. Prudence Crandall’s Legacy by Donald E. Williams

Register for the Zoom Presentation @thompsonrec.org. Upon registering you will be emailed the Zoom link.