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28th Annual Venture Smith Day
Saturday, September 7, 2024
1:00 - 4:00 PM
Venture Smith spent most of his freedom years in East Haddam and Haddam Neck, CT. He was the son of an African king, documented his capture and life as an American slave, and was a successful black freeman. His grave in the First Church Cemetery in East Haddam is one of the original sites on the Connecticut Freedom Trail.
This year's program features:
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Ms. Susi Ryan, 9th generation descendant of Venture Smith discussing “Vessels of Slavery: Forget Me Not.”
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John Wood Sweet, Ph.D., Professor of History at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, discussing “Ties That Bind: Slavery, Freedom, and Family in Venture Smith’s Life.”
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Héctor “Freedom” Gerardo, co-founder of the SEAmarron Farmstead LLC, 1 Freedom for All, and The Venture Farming Institute describing “Venture Smith and The Venture Farming Institute.”
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Dr. Karl P. Stofko, East Haddam’s Municipal Historian and Venture Smith family genealogist since the 1970s, sharing “Venture’s Journey to Malagasco as a Slave.”
Location: First Church Cemetery, 499 Town Street (RT. 151), East Haddam, CT, where Venture Smith (1729-1805) is buried.
Please bring a chair or blanket to sit on outside. Refreshments will be served following the event. Visit the Venture Smith exhibit at the East Haddam Historical Society and Museum, 264 Town Street in East Haddam, open from 12:00 - 5:00 pm on Venture Smith Day.
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