The Pioneer Valley History Network, the UMass Amherst Public History Program,and the W.E.B. Du Bois Library arepleased to announce a free, one-day virtual seminar launching the community-based research project, Documenting the Early History of Black Lives in the Connecticut River Valley on June 19, 2021 from 9:30am – 1pm.
This community-based research project in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin Counties aims to document the lives of free, enslaved, and formerly enslaved Black residents of the Connecticut River Valley prior to 1900. Participating historical organizations, in collaboration with student and volunteer researchers, will perform a “deep dive” into their relevant holdings and present their findings in a fall capstone event.