Stowe Center for Literary Activism

Discovering Stowe
2026-04-11 14:00 - 14:30, 2026-04-16 14:00 - 14:30, 2026-04-17 14:00 - 14:30 (America/New_York) | 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.

Inheriting Freedom: An Intergenerational Tour
2026-04-11 15:30 - 16:30, 2026-05-09 15:30 - 16:30 | Stowe Center for Literary Activism, 77 Forest Street, Hartford, CT, 06106, United States
One tour, two stories! Come learn about the Black abolitionist Frederick Douglass and the white anti-slavery author Harriet Beecher Stowe. We’ll explore their stories from the time they were young children until they became famous authors, paying special attention to the importance of love, family, and education in their lives. Did you know that Frederick Douglass taught himself to read and write in secret as a child? Or that Douglass was aided in his extraordinary escape to freedom by his wife-to-be, Anna Murray? Did you know that Harriet Beecher Stowe’s famous work of anti-slavery fiction, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, was directly inspired by Frederick Douglass and other Black activists of the 19th century? Our interactive, conversation-based tour is designed to explore some of the hardest moments in U.S. history in an empowering, age-appropriate way. Step back in time with us, touch and hold historical objects and documents that help this history come alive, and join in a conversation about how all of us have the power to create change.
[Designed to be enjoyed by visitors ages 6 and above.]

Hot for Beecher
2026-04-17 18:00 - 19:30 | Stowe Center for Literary Activism, 77 Forest Street, Hartford, CT, 06106, United States
Let’s spice up history class.
Join the Stowe Center for Literary Activism for Hot for Beecher, a lively interview-style program where scholarship meets serious heat. Director of Historic Collections Cat White and guest scholar Dr. Tess Chakkalakal will take on increasingly spicy hot wings (cauliflower available for vegans!) while answering questions about members of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s remarkable family.
This installment turns the spotlight on Calvin E. Stowe—Harriet Beecher Stowe’s husband, a professor, translator, and unexpectedly whimsical partner whose letters reveal humor, affection, and intellectual partnership.
Come for the history, stay for the heat, and discover the personalities behind one of America’s most influential literary families. Please note that this event is 21+.
Dr. Tess Chakkalakal
Cat White

About the Facilitators
Dr. Tess Chakkalakal is Professor of Africana Studies and English at Bowdoin College. She successfully campaigned for the renovation of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s residence at Bowdoin where she wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Dr. Chakkalakal is the author of Novel Bondage: Slavery, Marriage, and Freedom in Nineteenth-Century America (2011), A Matter of Complexion: The Life and Fictions of Charles W. Chesnutt (2025) among others, and the executive producer and co-host of the award-winning podcast “Dead Writers.”
Cat White is the Director of Historic Collections at the Stowe Center for Literary Activism.

The 2026 Stowe Symposium: Stowe in Context & Conversation
2026-04-18 08:00 - 17:00 | Trinity College, 300 Summit St, Hartford, United States
Photo by Tobi Hollander
Join the Stowe Center for Literary Activism for our day-long exploration of 19th-century literature and history centered on Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Registration opens at 8:00 a.m.
Featuring keynote speaker Tiya Miles, author of All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley’s Sack, a Black Family Keepsake.
Location: Trinity College, 300 Summit St, Hartford, CT 06106
SYMPOSIUM OVERVIEW PAGE

Yours Truly: 19th Century Letters from Our Archive
2026-04-22 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!

Make the World Write!
2026-04-25 10:00 - 12:00, 2026-05-09 10:00 - 12:00, 2026-05-23 10:00 - 12:00, 2026-06-27 10:00 - 12:00 | Stowe Center for Literary Activism, 77 Forest Street, Hartford, CT, 06106, United States
History is happening before our eyes, and with our new program, the Stowe Center wants to give you the space to use your words to make your impact. Make the World Write! allows you to write in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Hartford home. For two silent hours in Stowe’s parlors, be with history and let it empower and guide you to write for our times. Be with history. Be a literary activist!
For the best protection and care of the historic items and room you will be writing in:

Computers and pencil are welcome, please no pens
Bags smaller than 16” x 20” are allowed
Capped water bottles only, please leave food outside of our historic house
And please, don’t touch the objects on display

Salons at Stowe
2026-05-06 18:00 - 19:30 | Stowe Center for Literary Activism, 77 Forest Street, Hartford, CT, 06106, United States
We need to talk. We need each other. We need community.
Join the Stowe Center for Literary Activism for an open forum centered on current news and the issues shaping our lives right now. These gatherings invite neighbors into conversation, reflection, and community connection in a welcoming space where dialogue can spark understanding and action.
Rather than focusing on a single predetermined topic, this forum makes room for what people most want and need to talk about. Contemporary issues will remain at the heart of the conversation, with space for participants to bring their questions, concerns, and perspectives.
Come be in community, engage with others, and help turn conversation into action.
About Derek Hall

Derek Hall (he/him/his) is a dynamic anti-racist intergroup dialogue facilitator, public speaker, and activist committed to challenging beliefs and institutional culture rooted in systemic racism and other forms of oppression.
Derek has worked in the diversity, equity, and inclusion field for more than ten years, partnering with public and private school systems, for-profit and nonprofit organizations locally and nationally. His passion for decolonized education, human connection, and implementing racial equity strategies has led him to speak to audiences of more than 500 people and facilitate groups as small as 5 to 15. As a Racial Equity Consultant and Coach, Derek believes that “changed people change systems,” and he uses facilitation, storytelling, and community building to deepen the racial and social consciousness of individuals and organizations.

El Teteo in Harriet's Backyard
2026-05-16 12:00 - 16:00 | Stowe Center for Literary Activism, 77 Forest Street, Hartford, CT, 06106, United States
A Community Celebration at the Stowe Center
Join us for a teteo—a Dominican slang word for a lively party—as we close the exhibition What does it mean to be Human?, a collaboration between artist Amanda Mendoza and researcher Gamze Ozker.
Through intimate and reflective works, the exhibition explores what it means to be recognized as human within systems that determine whose rights are protected and whose are denied. Together, Mendoza and Ozker examine how compassion and dignity are lost—and reclaimed—through struggles for human rights.
We invite the community to gather in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s backyard for a celebration of joy, culture, and community as we close the exhibition the best way we know how—by coming together. Because Harriet’s backyard is for everyone.

What to Expect

Car show featuring local enthusiasts in collaboration with Rad Stallions.
Sponsored by Xtreme Rides and Haymond Law Firm.
Music and dancing
Dominos and card games
Arts & crafts for all ages
Food vendors
Local organizations tabling

If you are interested in displaying your car please email Miguel Santos
The Stowe Center Visitor Center will be open during the event, giving visitors the chance to experience Amanda Mendoza’s exhibition What does it mean to be Human? on its final day on view.

Food & Vendors

Los Chamos Street Food Truck
Pika Food Truck
Rolling Roti Food Truck

Community Organizations
Hartford Public Library • CT Fair Housing Center • Center for Latino Progress • Make the Road Connecticut • Sierra Club Connecticut • Hispanic Health Council • Night Fall Hartford • Lucinda’s House • Helena’s Casita
Families and visitors of all ages are welcome. Registration is not required, but recommended.

Hot for Beecher
2026-05-20 18:00 - 19:30 | Stowe Center for Literary Activism, 77 Forest Street, Hartford, CT, 06106, United States
Let’s spice up history class. 🔥
Join the Stowe Center for Literary Activism for Hot for Beecher, a lively interview-style program where scholarship meets serious heat. In this special installment, Dr. Allison Speicher sits down with guest scholars Susan Campbell and Beth Burgess for a conversation that turns up the temperature—complete with increasingly spicy hot wings (cauliflower available for vegans!).
Together, they’ll dive into the lives of John and Isabella Beecher Hooker—an abolitionist and suffragist power couple whose influence helped shape American history.
Come for the history, stay for the heat, and discover the personalities behind one of America’s most compelling literary families.
Please note: this event is 21+.

Susan Campbell

Beth Burgess

Allison Speicher

About the Facilitators
Susan Campbell is a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist, widely read columnist, and author of Tempest-Tossed: The Spirit of Isabella Beecher Hooker. Campbell has worked across the media landscape as an award-winning print journalist, a regular commentator on WNPR, and a guest on CBS’ Sunday Morning, the BBC, WTNH-TV, and Face the State.
Former Director of Collections at the Stowe Center for Literary Activism for nearly 20 years, Beth Burgess now serves as Museum Curator for the Museum of Connecticut History.
Dr. Allison Speicher has taught at Eastern since 2014, specializing in 19th-century American literature. She teaches American and children’s literature and works closely with Women’s and Gender Studies students. Her first book, Schooling Readers, examines the role fiction played in the evolution of public schooling. She is co-editor of the Country School Journal, secretary of the Stowe Society, and faculty advisor to Eastern’s Sigma Tau Delta chapter.

Stowe Prize Series: The Phillips Manuscript and "James: A Novel"
2026-05-27 18:00 - 19:30 | Stowe Center for Literary Activism, 77 Forest Street, Hartford, CT, 06106, United States
Free and open to the public
77 Forest St, Hartford | Zoom
6:00 – 7:30 PM EST, Presentation and audience Q&A
Riverbend Bookshop: Get a 10% discount our Stowe Prize books! Mention us at check-out or use STOWEFORCHANGE for online purchases.
With gratitude to our funders for their support

Register to Attend in Person
Register to Attend Virtually

Dr. Chris Hager will discuss the history of Black autobiography both ante- and post- bellum and then examine Dr. Phillips’s manuscript in relationship to this history and tradition. Additionally, Dr. Hager will examine the manuscript itself to explore the process of its creation, teasing out details of the writing process between Dr. Phillips and the Hookers.

Dr. Camesha Scruggs will help us think through this work and will guide our discussion as we all shape the scholarship being done around The Phillips Manuscript.

The Stowe Prize Series continues with a powerful exploration of history, storytelling, and the enduring struggle for freedom.
This year, we bring into conversation two remarkable works: the recently discovered Phillips Manuscript, which documents the extraordinary life of Dr. William H. Phillips, and Percival Everett’s award-winning novel James. The Phillips Manuscript will be on display at each gathering.
Born enslaved in Virginia in 1841, Dr. Phillips went on to become a nationally respected minister at Shiloh Baptist Church in Philadelphia. His life touches on pivotal events of 19th-century America and illuminates the resilience, courage, and intellect of Black Americans before and after emancipation. His story resonates with the themes of Everett’s James, which reframes the story of Huck Finn through the eyes of Jim.
Together, these works invite us to reflect on the essential question:What is the role of storytelling and narrative in our understanding of history and our current culture?

Salons at Stowe: Pride Month
2026-06-03 18:00 - 19:30 | Stowe Center for Literary Activism, 77 Forest Street, Hartford, CT, 06106, United States
We need to talk. We need each other. We need community.
Join the Stowe Center for Literary Activism for an open forum centered on current news and the issues shaping our lives right now. These gatherings invite neighbors into conversation, reflection, and community connection in a welcoming space where dialogue can spark understanding and action.
For this Salons at Stowe, we are celebrating Pride month by considering questions with a wide variety of subject experts, such as: What is the future of LGBTQIA+ Connecticut and what resources are available for LGBTQIA+ folks in Connecticut?
Come be in community, engage with others, and help turn conversation into action.
About the Facilitator
Derek Hall (he/him/his) is a dynamic anti-racist intergroup dialogue facilitator, public speaker, and activist committed to challenging beliefs and institutional culture rooted in systemic racism and other forms of oppression.
Derek has worked in the diversity, equity, and inclusion field for more than ten years, partnering with public and private school systems, for-profit and nonprofit organizations locally and nationally. His passion for decolonized education, human connection, and implementing racial equity strategies has led him to speak to audiences of more than 500 people and facilitate groups as small as 5 to 15. As a Racial Equity Consultant and Coach, Derek believes that “changed people change systems,” and he uses facilitation, storytelling, and community building to deepen the racial and social consciousness of individuals and organizations.
About the Subject Experts
We are delighted to feature leaders from the Connecticut-area who focus on LQBTQIA+ social justice issues as subject experts.
Jesse Nasta
Jesse Nasta, PhD, is a cultural, community, and public historian. Specializing in U.S. and African American history, he has taught LGBTQ and African American history at Wesleyan University since 2017 and has served as Executive Director of the Middlesex County Historical Society since 2020, in his home city of Middletown, Connecticut. In that role, and as a former member of the City of Middletown’s LGBTQIA+ Commission, he has proudly organized several Middletown Pride events focused on uncovering, celebrating, and sharing Connecticut LGBTQ history.

Representative Raghib Allie-Brennan

Representative Raghib Allie-Brennan is currently in his fourth term representing Connecticut’s 2nd Assembly District, encompassing Bethel and parts of Danbury. As Chief Majority Whip, he plays a pivotal role in advancing legislative priorities that reflect the values and needs of his constituents. Representative Allie-Brennan is a Co-Chair of the LGBTQ+ Caucus.

Representative Dominique Johnson
Representative Dominique Johnson proudly represents each resident in every neighborhood of the 143rd District. As Deputy Majority Leader, Dominique works to improve the quality of life for all of our District’s residents, delivering results with compassion and respect. Representative Johnson is a Co-Chair of the LGBTQ+ Caucus.

Kamora Herrington

Kamora Herrington is an experiential educator working at the intersections of identity and community. She is the recipient of the New Haven Pride Center’s Dorothy Award, the CT Voice Award for Advocacy, and a 100 Women of Color Award. Her work supports individuals and organizations committed to personal and professional growth through cultural humility.

Dani Arranka
Dani Arranka is a Latino-American trans hairstylist with a background in fashion, music, and beauty, and is from Hartford, but now living in New Britain.

John Pica-Sneeden

John Pica-Sneeden is the Executive Director of the CT Gay and Lesbian Chamber for the past 11 years, he started in 2014 and have worked hard to create and safe and secure working environment through networking for all our Partners and Members.

Anthony Pierson-DiLizia

Anthony Pierson-DiLizia is a United States Army Veteran and Executive Director of The Health Collective, where he leads the organization’s mission to advance health equity and expand affirming care for LGBTQIA+ and underserved communities across Connecticut. He is currently pursuing an Executive MBA at Yale School of Management and is passionate about building more accessible, equitable, and healthy communities.

Reverend Edwin Pérez Jr.
Reverend Edwin Pérez Jr. is the Senior Minister at Immanuel Congregational Church, United Church of Christ. Beginning in the Pentecostal tradition, he began licensed ministry in 2015 and has served in the United Church of Christ (UCC) since 2017, in various capacities. Additionally, Reverend Perez Jr. is a founding Board of Directors of the Southern New England Conference UCC and an Adjunct Professor at Berkeley School of Theology.

Kiki Lucia

Kiki Lucia (she/her) is a Connecticut-based drag performance artist with a vast artistic background that includes: classical ballet, aerial acrobatics, music theatre, acting, theatre production, directing, costume and production design, and producing. She started in Connecticut’s drag scene as backstage support starting in 2007 at the Polo Club in Hartford and took the stage for the first time in 2015. She hosts one of Connecticut’s longest running shows, Let’s Have a Kiki, and has produced some of the largest drag events in Connecticut in the last decade.

Tiana Maxim
Tiana Maxim is a Black trans showgirl from Rockland County, NY. She has been entertaining for 15 years in the New England area. Her longest running show is called “Skynn” on the fourth Friday at Trevi Lounge in Fairfield, Connecticut. She is the founding mother of the House of Maxim in Connecticut and Texas. She also has a political science degree from the University of New Haven.

Evelyn “Evy” Ruiz

Evelyn “Evy” Ruiz (she/her) is a Latina, lesbian Hartford native and founder and CEO of Hasta Luego Friend a mobile cafe rooted in community and culture. She is also the founder of Tia’s Roommate a Hartford-based QTPOC-owned organization creating safe and affirming space for queer and trans people, especially women of color.

Inheriting Freedom : An Intergenerational Tour
2026-06-12 12:30 - 13:30, 2026-06-12 15:30 - 16:30, 2026-07-04 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-07-04 12:30 - 13:30, 2026-07-04 15:30 - 16:30, 2026-07-10 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-07-10 12:30 - 13:30, 2026-07-10 15:30 - 16:30 | Stowe Center for Literary Activism, 77 Forest Street, Hartford, CT, 06106, United States

Nook Farm Lawn Party
2026-06-13 11:00 - 15:00 | Stowe Center for Literary Activism, 77 Forest Street, Hartford, CT, 06106, United States
Celebrate summer, community, and the legacy of Nook Farm at the Nook Farm Lawn Party, a joyful outdoor gathering in Harriet’s Backyard at the Stowe Center for Literary Activism. Held as part of the 22nd Annual Connecticut Open House Day, the event is presented in partnership with the Asylum Hill Neighborhood Association and the Mark Twain House & Museum, inviting neighbors and visitors alike to explore, connect, and celebrate the spirit of activism and community that has long defined this historic neighborhood.
Enjoy an afternoon filled with lawn games, crafts, and hands-on activities for all ages, along with complimentary food and opportunities to meet and learn from local social justice organizations tabling throughout the space. Guests can also take advantage of free station tours inside both the Harriet Beecher Stowe House and the Mark Twain House, offering a chance to experience two of Connecticut’s most important literary landmarks.
Each year, Connecticut Open House Day falls near the birthdays of Harriet Beecher Stowe and Josiah Henson, giving us a meaningful opportunity to celebrate their enduring legacies and the powerful connections between literature, freedom, and social change. This year’s gathering is especially meaningful as we also honor the 150th anniversary of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, alongside Harriet’s 215th birthday and Josiah’s 237th—marking a powerful convergence of literary and activist histories.
As Connecticut looks ahead to America 250, this celebration offers a vibrant and community-centered way to begin commemorating the nation’s 250th anniversary—grounded in the stories, voices, and activism that have shaped American history and continue to inspire its future.
Bring your family, invite a friend, and join us for an afternoon of community, history, and celebration in the heart of Nook Farm.
This project is supported by funding from the Community Investment Fund 2030 (Round 5), administered by the State of Connecticut.

Book Tours: An Evening with Chris Smalls
2026-06-15 18:00 - 19:30 | Stowe Center for Literary Activism, 77 Forest Street, Hartford, CT, 06106, United States
What can the history of the labor movement teach us about work, power, and collective change?
Join the Stowe Center for Literary Activism for a conversation with Chris Smalls about his new book, When the Revolution Comes: A Fight for the Future of the Working Class. The book offers a firsthand account of one of the most closely watched labor campaigns in recent history, exploring the challenges, strategies, and experiences that shaped the effort.
In conversation with Anita Durkin, Unit Chair of the Stowe Center’s union, Smalls will reflect on the history and evolution of labor organizing in the United States, the role of workers in shaping social and economic change, and the contemporary significance of these movements.
Through discussion of the book and the broader history it engages, this program invites audiences to consider how stories of labor, activism, and collective action continue to inform public conversations about work and democracy today.
Register to Attend in Person Register to Attend Virtually

About the Speakers
Chris Smalls, Photo taken by Kennedi Carter
Anita Durkin

Chris Smalls
Chris Smalls is the co-founder and former president of the Amazon Labor Union. Under his leadership, the ALU successfully unionized an Amazon warehouse: a historic victory for workers’ rights in America. A Fortune “40 Under 40” honoree, he was named to the Time 100 list of the most influential people of 2022, alongside his fellow union organizer Derrick Palmer. When the Revolution Comes is his first book.
Anita Durkin
Anita Durkin is the Unit Chair of the Stowe Center for Literary Activism union, UAW Local 2110. She holds a PhD in American Literature from the University of Rochester.

CT Historic Gardens Day
2026-06-28 09:30 - 13:30 | Stowe Center for Literary Activism, 77 Forest Street, Hartford, CT, 06106, United States
Join us at the Stowe Center for a special celebration of CT Historic Gardens Day.
While the Stowe House is closed for tours on Sundays, visitors are warmly invited to explore our historic gardens and grounds from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm. Knowledgeable garden volunteers will be on hand throughout the morning to share insights into the design, history, and plant selections that make the Stowe Center landscape so distinctive.
Guests can also enjoy complimentary lemonade and cookies while taking in the beauty of the gardens.
Just next door, our neighbors at the Mark Twain House & Museum will also host garden volunteers from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm and will be open for house tours from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm.
We hope you’ll join us for a morning of history, conversation, and community in bloom.

Salons at Stowe: America 250
2026-07-01 18:00 - 19:30 | Stowe Center for Literary Activism, 77 Forest Street, Hartford, CT, 06106, United States
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, join the Stowe Center for Literary Activism and the CT Forum for a special evening exploring the stories, struggles, and ideals that have shaped our nation.
The evening begins with a Stowe Center community conversation on America250, facilitated by Derek Hall, featuring Connecticut historians, educators, artists, faith leaders, and community advocates. Together, they’ll examine the history of America’s founding, the voices too often left out of that story, and our shared responsibility to build a more just future.
Enjoy complimentary refreshments while connecting with fellow community members before the evening continues with Clint Smith, acclaimed author, poet, and journalist, presenting “America at 250: There Is No One American Story.” Following his keynote, Tenisha Dugan will join Clint Smith for a conversation exploring the complexities of American history, identity, and the stories that shape our future.
This gathering invites neighbors into conversation, reflection, and community connection in a welcoming space where dialogue can spark understanding and action.
Featured Speaker
Clint Smith is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning With the History of Slavery Across America, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Stowe Prize, and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. A staff writer at The Atlantic, Smith is also the author of the bestselling poetry collections Above Ground and Counting Descent. He is known for his work exploring history, race, memory, and the enduring impact of slavery in America.

In Conversation

Taneisha Duggan is the Director of Hartford’s Office of Arts, Culture and Entertainment, where she leads efforts to strengthen the city’s creative economy, support local artists, and expand access to arts and cultural experiences. A longtime arts leader, producer, and arts advocate, Duggan has held leadership roles with HartBeat Ensemble, TheaterWorks Hartford, and Octopus Theatricals. A graduate of SUNY Purchase’s Conservatory of Theatre Arts, she is deeply committed to celebrating Hartford’s vibrant arts community and fostering connections through culture.

Featured Facilitator
Derek Hall (he/him/his) is a dynamic anti-racist intergroup dialogue facilitator, public speaker, and activist committed to challenging beliefs and institutional culture rooted in systemic racism and other forms of oppression.
Derek has worked in the diversity, equity, and inclusion field for more than ten years, partnering with public and private school systems, for-profit and nonprofit organizations locally and nationally. His passion for decolonized education, human connection, and implementing racial equity strategies has led him to speak to audiences of more than 500 people and facilitate groups as small as 5 to 15. As a Racial Equity Consultant and Coach, Derek believes that “changed people change systems,” and he uses facilitation, storytelling, and community building to deepen the racial and social consciousness of individuals and organizations.

Community Panelists
Joe Young is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker, award-winning cartoonist, producer, writer, and teaching artist with more than 35 years of experience in media, education, and community engagement. He is the creator of the nationally recognized KEMET comic property and President of Joe Young Entertainment, LLC, producing original content for television, film, and streaming platforms including Amazon Prime and Tubi. Young is also the President and Co-Founder of Hartford’s Got Talent and leads CAN DO, Inc., organizations dedicated to empowering youth through arts, entrepreneurship, and creative education programs. His work and leadership have been recognized nationally through multiple awards, media features, a Guinness World Record, and a statewide proclamation honoring his contributions to arts and youth development.

Dr. Dexter Gabriel is a professor of History at the University of Connecticut. He earned his B.A. in history from Texas State University-San Marcos, an M.A. in history also from Texas State University-San Marcos, and his Ph.D. in history from Stony Brook University-New York. His research interests include the histories of slavery, resistance, and freedom in the Black Atlantic, as well as interdisciplinary approaches to slavery within popular culture and media. He teaches courses on the UCONN campus ranging from African American History to 1865, Comparative Slavery in the Americas, and Slavery in Film—to name a few. His most recent published book, Jubilee’s Experiment: The British West Indies and American Abolitionism, explores British Emancipation in the Anglo-Caribbean and its impact on abolitionist strategies in the nineteenth-century United States.

Chamar Latanja is a community organizer, mentor, and advocate focused on civic engagement, education equity, wellness-centered leadership, and grassroots empowerment. Her work includes organizing around mental health access, school advocacy, police accountability, and community leadership development. Through public speaking, mentorship, and community organizing, she helps people build the confidence, strategy, and support needed to create meaningful change.

The Right Reverend Doctor John L. Selders, Jr. is an ordained minister serving in the United Church of Christ, the Organizing Pastor of Amistad United Church of Christ, Hartford, CT, former Associate College Chaplain, and currently Assistant Dean of Students and Coordinator of Community Standards, Trinity College, Hartford, CT, and one of the leaders of Moral Monday CT. For 15 years, he served as Executive Director of Zezzo House (an 18-unit housing project) in Hartford, CT.

Cherell Banks is a Hartford-based community organizer, youth engagement facilitator, and founder of Taking Care of Business Foundation. Her work focuses on youth leadership development, community engagement, violence prevention, and strengthening connections between residents, schools, and neighborhood organizations. Banks has facilitated civic engagement and prevention-focused initiatives with youth and families throughout Hartford and contributes to community conversations centered on public safety, wellness, and belonging. She is committed to helping communities build positive pathways that empower young people and strengthen neighborhood leadership.

Katherine A. Hermes is professor emerita of history at CCSU. She received her Ph.D. in history from Yale University and J.D. from Duke University’s School of Law. She became the publisher and editor of Connecticut Explored in 2022. Her teaching and scholarship focused on the colonial Atlantic World, Anglo-American legal history, Native Americans of the Eastern Woodlands, and the American Revolution.

6000+ Declarations of Independence
2026-07-04 11:00 - 16:00 | Stowe Center for Literary Activism, 77 Forest Street, Hartford, CT, 06106, United States
July 4 Community Celebration
Join us for a family-friendly July 4 celebration inspired by 6000+ Declarations of Independence, an America250CT project exploring how Black abolitionists declared their own freedom through storytelling, art, and activism.
Throughout the day, visitors are invited to experience history through live interpretation, creative workshops, and community gathering—reflecting on the many ways freedom has been imagined, claimed, and expressed.
What to Expect
Live interpreters portraying Frederick Douglass, Harriet Jacobs, and Josiah HensonComic book workshop with artist Joe Young all day!Kemet character appearanceReadings of freedom narratives and declarations of independenceOutdoor programming on the Stowe Center grounds (weather permitting)
Families and visitors of all ages are welcome.
6000+ Declarations of Independence Speakers and First-Person Interpreters:

Joe Young
Joe Young is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker, award-winning cartoonist, producer, writer, and teaching artist with more than 35 years of experience in media, education, and community engagement. He is the creator of the nationally recognized KEMET comic property and President of Joe Young Entertainment, LLC, producing original content for television, film, and streaming platforms including Amazon Prime and Tubi. Young is also the President and Co-Founder of Hartford’s Got Talent and leads CAN DO, Inc., organizations dedicated to empowering youth through arts, entrepreneurship, and creative education programs. His work and leadership have been recognized nationally through multiple awards, media features, a Guinness World Record, and a statewide proclamation honoring his contributions to arts and youth development.

Tammy Denease
Tammy Denease. An accomplished Performing Artist, Storyteller, Actor, and Playwright, Tammy Denease specializes in bringing to life the lives of very important, yet “hidden” women in history. Among her favorites are Bessie Coleman (first internationally licensed pilot in the world) and Elizabeth Keckly (former enslaved woman who worked at Lincoln’s White House), Margu (Amistad captive) and Elizabeth “MumBet” Freeman – one minute a free woman. Tammy performs at historical sites, libraries, schools, theaters, and corporate events. When Tammy is not bringing historical figures to life, she vividly tells folktales where she takes the audience into a world in which animals set the scene for life lessons!

Dr. Dexter Gabriel
Dr. Dexter Gabriel is a professor of History at the University of Connecticut. He earned his B.A. in history from Texas State University-San Marcos, an M.A. in history also from Texas State University-San Marcos, and his Ph.D. in history from Stony Brook University-New York. His research interests include the histories of slavery, resistance, and freedom in the Black Atlantic, as well as interdisciplinary approaches to slavery within popular culture and media. He teaches courses on the UCONN campus ranging from African American History to 1865, Comparative Slavery in the Americas, and Slavery in Film—to name a few. His most recent published book, Jubilee’s Experiment: The British West Indies and American Abolitionism, explores British Emancipation in the Anglo-Caribbean and its impact on abolitionist strategies in the nineteenth-century United States.

Fiona Vernal
Fiona Vernal is Associate Director of the Africana Studies Institute (ASI), Associate Professor of History and Africana Studies at the University of Connecticut and the Director of Engaged, Public, Oral, and Community Histories (EPOCH), a public-facing initiative at UConn aimed at integrating research, teaching, and scholarship in broader public policy interventions and capacity-building for community organizations. Her teaching and research center African, Caribbean, African Diaspora histories. She is currently working on a book and digital humanities project, Hartford Bound that integrates oral histories, archival research, and GIS methodologies to offer new visual and spatial histories of race, ethnic belonging, migration, and community succession in Hartford, Connecticut.

Nadia Sims
Nadia Sims is a Manchester based poet spreading her message of grace across CT, NY and MA. The Princeton graduate is the proud author of “A Soft Place to Land”, “We Know the Dark” and “Apostle, Interrupted.”

Godfrey Simmons
Godfrey L. Simmons, Jr. New England HartBeat Ensemble: My Children! My Africa!, The Trump Card and Possessing Harriet; Hartford Stage: It’s A Wonderful Life: A Radio Play, All My Sons, and Two Trains Running (CT Critics Nom); TheaterWorks Hartford: The Old Settler, Circus Fire; Chester Theatre: Mr. Joy (Berkie Award); Silverthorne Theatre: Bulrusher. Off-Broadway Epic Theatre Ensemble: A More Perfect Union, Widowers’ Houses (co-adapted), Einstein’s Gift, MacBeth; Playwrights Horizons: Betty’s Summer Vacation; Primary Stages: The Old Settler (Audelco Award); Working Theater: Free Market. Theatre Companies HartBeat Ensemble, Hartford—Artistic Director; Civic Ensemble, Ithaca, NY—Co-Founder; Epic Theatre Ensemble—former Producing Artist in charge of New Artist Development; Ensemble Studio Theatre—Lifetime Member. Teaching Current: Trinity College—Visiting Lecturer; Cornell University, Binghamton University, John Jay College, Marymount Manhattan College, UConn Hartford.

Gerry Williams
Gerry Williams is currently the weekday morning host for WIHS Radio in Middletown Connecticut. He conducts weekly interviews for the WIHS Journal News And Public Affairs program.He graduated from the Connecticut School Of Broadcasting in 2006. His Passions are the things of God, family, the performing arts, Stand Up Comedy, fishing and Raider football.

Ysanne
Ysanne has a way of offering an experience to the audience in many different perspectives. From opening up for Juelz Santana to playing “Motormouth Maybelle” in Dean College production Hairspray, there is no stage Ysanne can’t dominate! As a performer at Six Flags New England Amusement Park Ysanne was cast as the original actress to play the role of “Cleo” in the debut of Graveyard Groove in 2014, where she performed in front of nearly 10,000 people that season alone. Fall of 2021 Ysanne played in a one woman show about the one and only Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grille at The Rep in Porthsmouth, NH.

Sponsored by Travelers and the Greater Hartford Arts Council.

Free museum access during Long Weekend is sponsored by

as part of the America 250 | CT Commemoration
