One Book, One Windsor’s community
book read will be hosting a discussion on the following date
Please join us!
August 10th
L. P. Wilson Community Center
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
A note from One Book, One
Windsor
Planning Committee
“Making Freedom,
The Extraordinary Life of
Venture Smith”
By Chandler B. Saint & George A.
Krimsky
This
year’s selection is going to pay homage and highlight another
face of slavery. Often slaves were treated extremely
poorly Venture Smith’s life portrays another side of slavery.
Mr. Smith was permitted to earn wages by his third owner which
allowed him to purchase his freedom, his families, secure 300
acre farm in East Haddam, Connecticut and acquire wealth.
On
June 5, 2009, the State of Connecticut became the 1st
New England State to apologize for slavery. It is our hope that
this can be a continuance in dialogue around the areas of race
relations in Windsor. Windsor is a diverse community which
should celebrate its diversity.
The
community previewed the documentary “Traces of the Trade” which
was produced by the DeWolf family who uncovered that their
families’ wealth was obtained through participation in the slave
trade in Rhode Island. In the fall this video drew the
community out to discuss this topic and left the audience
wanting more. Therefore this book was selected to help
continue the discussion generated by the “Traces of the Trade”
video.
