On Thursday, June 3, 2021 at 7:30 p.m., the public is invited to attend a virtual Community Conversation about the history of Juneteenth and the upcoming celebration that will mark West Hartford’s second annual observance of the holiday. The June 19 holiday of Juneteenth commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States. In 2020, Mayor Shari Cantor proclaimed June 19 as Juneteenth Day in West Hartford, CT and the town’s first ever official observance took place on the town green, thanks to the efforts of resident Adrienne Billings-Smith. The West Hartford Town Council unanimously approved a resolution in November 2020 to make the celebration of Juneteenth Independence Day an annual event. This year, the town’s observance of Juneteenth will be back and bigger than ever, culminating in a two-day event that will involve community groups across West Hartford and includes the unveiling of a large-scale mural commemorating the 39 years of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life across 39 towns. The official observance of Juneteenth will again take place on the town green with one notable change – the name of the green has been changed from Goodman Green to Unity Green.
For the past several years, investigations into the lives of enslaved persons in the community of West Hartford have been conducted through the efforts of the Witness Stones West Hartford Project. While researching the life of an enslaved man named George, co-directors Town Historian Dr. Tracey Wilson, Elizabeth Devine, and Denise deMello were able to identify Timothy Goodman, the man who donated the land that would be known as “Goodman Green” to the First Church, as a slaveholder. The idea of having a town green named after a person who participated in and benefited from the institution of slavery had many in town questioning the name. Members of the First Church worked with the community, including Concerned Parents of Color of West Hartford, an organization founded by Adrienne Billings-Smith, to discuss the renaming of the green. On November 29, 2020, First Church voted to change the name of Goodman Green to Unity Green at a congregational meeting. The motion to change the name was made by West Hartford resident Dorothy Stone, a direct descendent of Timothy Goodman.
Concerned Parents of Color of West Hartford, Witness Stones West Hartford Project, and First Church all will be participating in Juneteenth events across June 19 & 20. The unveiling of the MLK39 Initiative mural will be another not-to-miss moment. The large-scale painting in themes of unity, peace, and justice, as embodied by the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., will cover the entire south wall, ground to roof, of the Noah Webster Library that leads from South Main Street to Blue Back Square. The West Hartford installation of the MLK39 Initiative is being created through a partnership between CT Murals, the Town of West Hartford, the CT Center for Nonviolence, Concerned Parents of Color, Unity Green Committee, and West Hartford African American Social and Cultural Organization (WHAASCO), as well as other members of the community and organizations.
On Thursday, June 3, 2021 at 7:30 p.m., the West Hartford African American Social & Cultural Organization (WHAASCO), the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society, and the West Hartford Community Interactive will host a Community Conversation for residents to learn more about the importance of Juneteenth, bear witness to West Hartford residents who contributed to the community though they came to it against their will, understand the process of renaming a town green, and remember Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy and that of others in West Hartford who seek unity, peace, and justice.
The Community Conversation will be facilitated by Earl Exum, President of WHAASCO, and will feature Dr. Tracey Wilson (Witness Stones West Hartford), Adrienne Billings-Smith (Concerned Parents of Color), Matt Conway (MLK39 Mural), and Judy Schmitt (First Church). This event is free and open to the public. Please register in advance at https://bit.ly/3yFLsv0.
