Stowe Center for Literary Activism

Discovering Stowe
2026-01-31 14:00 - 14:30, 2026-01-30 14:00 - 14:30, 2026-01-29 14:00 - 14:30, 2026-01-24 14:00 - 14:30, 2026-01-23 14:00 - 14:30, 2026-01-22 14:00 - 14:30, 2026-01-17 14:00 - 14:30, 2026-01-16 14:00 - 14:30 (America/New_York) and 2 more dates | Stowe Center for Literary Activism, 77 Forest Street, Hartford, CT, 06106, United States
This succinct historical tour focuses on Harriet’s childhood, her time in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the impact of free and enslaved Black people on her life and legacy. This tour moves through the first floor of the Stowe House where we invite guests to learn more about the influence of the abolitionist movement on Stowe’s famous anti-slavery novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

Inspiring Stowe
2026-01-31 12:30 - 13:30, 2026-01-30 15:30 - 16:30, 2026-01-29 15:30 - 16:30, 2026-01-29 12:30 - 13:30, 2026-01-24 15:30 - 16:30, 2026-01-24 12:30 - 13:30, 2026-01-23 15:30 - 16:30, 2026-01-22 15:30 - 16:30 and 8 more dates | Stowe Center for Literary Activism, 77 Forest Street, Hartford, CT, 06106, United States
We look forward to inspiring you with the life and work of Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852), a complex and controversial novel that galvanized the anti-slavery movement. Our tours address the history of enslavement and racism in a conversational format and invite and encourage visitors to make connections between inequities then and now.

Yours Truly: 19th Century Letters from Our Archive
2026-01-28 18:00 - 19:00 | Stowe Center for Literary Activism, 77 Forest Street, Hartford, CT, 06106, United States
Our archive holds a wealth of fascinating correspondence, scrapbooks, diaries, and other materials that offer unique perspectives into the interior lives of some of the most influential people of the 19th century. We invite our public into close contact with some of our most insightful, curious, enlightening, and humorous archival holdings for monthly gatherings where we read letters from our collection. We hold letters from Frederick Douglass, Harriet Jacobs, William Lloyd Garrison, and other progressive thinkers of the 19th century, in addition of course to those written by the extensive and active Beecher family. This gathering will meet and read copies of historic letters from our archive, with the original on display. Together, we will work through not only 19th century handwriting (transcript will be available) but the topics, thoughts, emotional reactions these writers held. 19th century correspondence was both a semi-private and semi-public affair, and letters offer a unique glimpse into the personality and interiority of individuals. We hope you’ll join Cat White, Director of Historic Collections, as we bring our letters out of the archives!

Spirits at Stowe
2026-01-17 15:30 - 16:30 | Stowe Center for Literary Activism, 77 Forest Street, Hartford, CT, 06106, United States
Spirits at Stowe considers spiritualism as a tool of resistance among radicals and reformers of the 19th century.
Through contact with spirits, radical women claimed authority to speak the unspeakable, especially the right to full control and autonomy over their own bodies and families. Throughout the tour, we will delve into the historic, social, and political context of the 19th century and explore the role of spiritualism in the lives of reformers, suffragists, and Black activists, including Harriet Jacobs, Frederick Douglass, and Harriet Wilson.
During the tour, the house is “set” to reflect a Spiritualist setting. It takes place later in the evening and is by (electric) candlelight. Participants on the tour will observe and engage with materials and primary sources related to spiritualism, including a planchette, spiritualist newspapers, seance accounts, and letter excerpts from leading 19th century activists.
Spirits at Stowe deals with themes such as violence, sexuality, and reproductive rights.It is not recommended for children under 13.

What is spiritualism?
Broadly speaking, spiritualism is the belief that an individual’s awareness persists after death and can be contacted by the living. During Spirits at Stowe, we discuss the histories of multiple spiritualist traditions in U.S. history, and how these beliefs helped inspire, nourish, and connect politically radical individuals and communities – paying special attention to abolitionism, women’s rights, labor rights, and the intersection among them.

Spirits at Stowe considers spiritualism as a tool of resistance among radicals and reformers of the 19th century.
Through contact with spirits, radical women claimed authority to speak the unspeakable, especially the right to full control and autonomy over their own bodies and families. Throughout the tour, we will delve into the historic, social, and political context of the 19th century and explore the role of spiritualism in the lives of reformers, suffragists, and Black activists, including Harriet Jacobs, Frederick Douglass, and Harriet Wilson.
During the tour, the house is “set” to reflect a Spiritualist setting. It takes place later in the evening and is by (electric) candlelight. Participants on the tour will observe and engage with materials and primary sources related to spiritualism, including a planchette, spiritualist newspapers, seance accounts, and letter excerpts from leading 19th century activists.
Spirits at Stowe deals with themes such as violence, sexuality, and reproductive rights.It is not recommended for children under 13.

What is spiritualism?
Broadly speaking, spiritualism is the belief that an individual’s awareness persists after death and can be contacted by the living. During Spirits at Stowe, we discuss the histories of multiple spiritualist traditions in U.S. history, and how these beliefs helped inspire, nourish, and connect politically radical individuals and communities – paying special attention to abolitionism, women’s rights, labor rights, and the intersection among them.

Partner Event: Montgomery Parks Book Club
2026-01-14 18:30 - 20:00 | CT
Commemorate 250 years of American independence by delving into diverse narratives and experiences that shaped this country. Through fiction and nonfiction, we’ll examine our shared past and its impact on today.
Meetings will be held online and facilitated by staff from the Josiah Henson Museum and Park.
Wednesday, January 14, 2026 | 6:30 to 8 p.m. “James” by Percival Everett
Become a member of the History Book Club for additional details.

Reading for Change
2026-01-14 18:00 - 19:00 | Hartford Public Library, 500 Main St, Hartford, CT, 06103, United States
A virtual reading group curated around our Stowe Prize for Literary Activism winners, shortlist, and mission-aligned books.
Register to Attend in Person Register to Attend Virtually
CLICK HERE FOR THE ZOOM LINK

About the Book
An Inconvenient Cop: My Fight to Change Policing in America is Edwin Raymond’s gripping and deeply reflective account of his fifteen years within the New York Police Department. With unwavering candor and moral clarity, Raymond reveals the entrenched structures, racialized pressures, and unforgiving metrics that shape the realities of American policing. His story moves with the force of testimony—navigating the personal cost of resistance, the peril of speaking truth to power, and the enduring belief that justice must be pursued even when the consequences are steep.
The memoir becomes both exposé and elegy: a reckoning with history, a meditation on accountability, and a call to imagine systems capable of change. Lyrical yet unflinching, An Inconvenient Cop underscores the vital role of witness in the struggle for equity and reform.

About the Facilitators
This conversation brings together two essential voices whose experiences and expertise illuminate the themes at the heart of An Inconvenient Cop. Their combined perspectives guide participants through a deeper understanding of policing, justice, and the transformative power of truth-telling.
Edwin Raymond
Edwin Raymond is native of Brooklyn, New York and recently retired NYPD lieutenant, whistleblower and civil rights advocate whose work challenges systemic racism and inequity in modern policing. He shares his experiences through public speaking, different forms of media and his memoir An Inconvenient Cop, using personal narrative to illuminate structural injustice. His commitment to reform and moral courage aligns with the Stowe Center’s mission to inspire social
justice through storytelling. Like Stowe, Raymond uses his voice to provoke dialogue, foster empathy and encourage collective action toward a more just society.
Dr. Michael Mallery Jr.
Chair of the Stowe Center’s Board of Trustees, Dr. Michael Mallery Jr. is a scholar-activist whose work centers on education, equity, and community empowerment. With more than fourteen years of experience inspiring students and educators across the country, he brings an essential lens to conversations about justice and social change. His commitment to fostering dialogue and civic engagement makes him a vital guide in exploring the memoir’s urgent themes.
