The power of education:
A history assignment sparked the interest of a group of 7th graders at Cornwall Consolidated School. After reading about Naomi Cain Freeman, an enslaved women who lived in Cornwall, gained her freedom and became the first Black woman to own land in the town - they decided to do more research, use AI to render images of what she would look like, work with historians, non profits and archaeologists to fill the gaps in ner story, and attended a Board of Selectman meeting to petition First Selectman Gordon Ridgway and the Board to rename a street in her honor.
Today a ceremony was held to honor their work and rename a section Great Hollow Road to Naomi Freeman Hostorical Road.
At a time when the history and contributions of African Americans is being erased, Cornwall remains a diverse, accepting, inclusive community even 200 years later.
The story of Naomi Cain Freeman will continue to be told for generations to come thanks to the work of these awesome students.