Jennifer Rycenga, professor emerita of comparative religious studies and humanities at San José State University, will speak about her new book Schooling the Nation: The Success of the Canterbury Academy for Black Women.
Founded in 1833 by white teacher Prudence Crandall, Canterbury Academy educated more than two dozen Black women during its eighteen-month existence. Racism in eastern Connecticut forced the teen students to walk a gauntlet of taunts, threats, and legal action to pursue their studies, but the school of higher learning flourished until a vigilante attack destroyed the Academy.
This special presentation will focus on the key role of genealogical studies and resources in rediscovering more about the students and their descendants, as well as inviting these experts to further exploration.