Springfield College Professor of History Ian Delahanty Takes Part in Virtual Seminar Documenting the Early History of Black Lives in the Connecticut River Valley

Springfield College Assistant Professor of History Ian Delahanty will take part in a one-day virtual seminar titled, Documenting the Early History of Black Lives in the Connecticut River Valley, on June 19 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is presented by the Pioneer Valley History Network, UMass Amherst Public History Program, and the W.E.B. Du Bois Library.

Scholars, public historians, and community members will come together on Juneteenth for a keynote address by Dr. Whitney Battle-Baptiste, Professor of Anthropology and Director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Center at UMass Amherst, as well as two panels: “Histories of Enslavement & Freedom: A Conversation with Scholars” and “Documenting Black Lives in the Early Valley: Methods & Models.” 

Delahanty will join a list of attendees and participants that will include: Joseph Carvalho, III, author and retired President and Executive Director of the Springfield Museums, Gretchen Gerzina, Professor of English at UMass Amherst, Marla Miller, Professor of History and Director of the UMass Amherst Public History Program, Marjory O’Toole, Executive Director, Little Compton Historical Society, Dennis Picard, President, Pioneer Valley History Network, Ousmane Power-Greene, Associate Professor of History, Clark University, Erika Slocumb, PhD Candidate, W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro American Studies, UMass Amherst, and Emma Winter Zeig, Education and Interpretive Programs Manager, Historic Northampton.

To view the full schedule, list of speakers, and explore supplemental materials, research guides, and additional recommended talks by the event speakers on the project’s website: blogs.umass.edu/PVHN-BlackHistory

This event launches a larger community-based research project in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin Counties that aims to document the lives of early free, enslaved, and formerly enslaved Black residents of the Connecticut River Valley. 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. Interested individuals can participate, as well, by contacting PVHN and describing your interest in this project.

Springfield College is an independent, nonprofit, coeducational institution founded in 1885. Approximately 4,100 students, including 2,500 full-time undergraduate students, study at its main campus in Springfield, Mass., and at its regional campuses across the country. Springfield College inspires students through the guiding principles of its Humanics philosophy – educating in spirit, mind, and body for leadership in service to others.