Dartmouth Professor Relates Struggles and Triumphs of African American Couple in Pre-Civil War New England

NB: This program has been rescheduled to Sunday, March 9, at 2:00 PM.

Brooks is the site of another incredible lecture on history, and its about a courageous African American couple who lived a few miles south of us in the mid-18th century.

Author Gretchen Holbrook Gerzina will tell the story of Lucy Terry and Abijah Prince, an accomplished African American couple in pre-Civil War New England, in a talk at Brooks Memorial Library in Brattleboro on February 6. The talk, “Mr. and Mrs. Prince,” is part of the Vermont Humanities Council’s First Wednesdays lecture series and takes place at 7:00 p.m.

Pursuing what would become the cornerstone of the American Dream, Lucy Terry and Abijah Prince stood their ground in the face of bigoted neighbors. Dr. Gerzina will tell their story and explain how their lives contained the paradoxes of slavery in our region.

Dr. Gerzina is Chair of the English Department at Dartmouth College. She hosts a nationally syndicated radio program, The Book Show, and is the author of Mr. and Mrs. Prince: How an Extraordinary 18th-Century Family Moved out of Slavery and into Legend. She has appeared frequently as a radio guest in both England and America, as well as in several British television documentaries.

The Vermont Humanities Council’s First Wednesdays Brattleboro series is held on the first Wednesday of every month from October through May, featuring speakers of national and regional renown. Upcoming Brattleboro talks include “Remembering Angelica: the Life and Times of an 18th Century Artist” with author Angela Rosenthal on March 5; “Witnesses at the Gate,” an exploration of stories of death and loss, with author Marjorie Ryerson on April 2; and “Don Quixote: The Greatest Novel Ever,” with Amherst College Professor Ilan Stavans on May 7.

First Wednesdays is supported in part by the Institute of Museum & Library Services through the Vermont Department of Libraries. Brooks Memorial Library is sponsored by Brattleboro Savings & Loan, Entergy-Vermont, Friends of Brooks Memorial Library, Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., and Trustees of Brooks Memorial Library.

For more information, contact Brooks Memorial Library at 802.254.5290 or brattlib@brooks.lib.vt.us. For all library events, see the library’s calendar at www.brooks.lib.vt.us.

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