93 year old Connecticut man honored in new Black History Trail
The opening of the trail, its contemporary relevance, and Spencer Lancaster’s living legacy.
View storyIn the news
The trail entered the public record.
Reporting, broadcasts, and public programs have carried New London’s Black history far beyond the markers themselves.
Statewide recognition · 2022
A Connecticut history Game Changer
Connecticut Explored selected the New London Black Heritage Trail as one of its 20 for 20 Game Changers, a group of people and projects representing the future of Connecticut history.
The trail earned recognition for turning sustained community research into a public, place based experience. Its markers make three centuries of Black history visible in the streets where that history happened, connecting preservation, education, tourism, and civic memory.
Read the NEH recognitionFeatured coverage
“Black and brown history has to be relevant.”
FOX61 covered the trail’s opening and the honoring of Spencer C. Lancaster, New London’s first Black elected official.
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Selected coverage
Twelve stories and programs
A dynamic history that is seldom taught
A radio feature on Adam Jackson, Ichabod Pease, the trail’s origins, and the work of restoring people to the record.
Listen and readNew London prepares to unveil Black Heritage Trail
A preview of the 15 original sites and the community effort behind their public recognition.
View storyLancaster a living reminder of rich Black history
A profile of Spencer C. Lancaster and the importance of recognizing history while its witnesses are still with us.
Read storyNew London poised to unveil Black Heritage Trail
Coverage of the final preparations for a citywide project built through research, collaboration, and public investment.
Read storyNew London, Mystic and more get funding for tourism initiatives
An early look at the public funding that helped move regional heritage and tourism projects forward.
Read storyMiddle Passage to New London
A deeper examination of the Speedwell, the UNESCO Site of Memory designation, and New London’s ties to the Atlantic slave trade.
Listen and readNew London’s Black Heritage Trail
A televised trail visit with Connecticut Sun player DiJonai Carrington.
Watch segmentCelebrating Black History Month on the trail
The Connecticut Sun highlights the trail as a place to encounter Black history in the communities the team represents.
View featureNew London’s Black Heritage Trail presentation
Researchers Lonnie Braxton, Laura Natusch, Tom Schuch, and Nicole Thomas discuss the development and stories of the trail.
View programNew London marks the Speedwell’s arrival
Coverage of the ceremony at Amistad Pier and the memorial to those who endured the Middle Passage aboard the Speedwell.
Read storyNew London marks a slave ship landing site
Reporting on the Site of Memory and the dedication of the Middle Passage marker on the waterfront.
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