151. Little Liberia: The Mary and Eliza Freeman Center (CTE Game Changer Series)

Connecticut Explored is celebrating its 20th anniversary with “20 for 20: Innovation in Connecticut History,” a series of articles, podcasts, and public programs that highlight 20 "Game Changers" in the field of Connecticut history. The insights and ideas we gather through this five-minute survey will help individuals and organizations who are committed to keeping Connecticut history vibrant and relevant. Thank you for your time!

 https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OCT1FREEMAN

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To mark Connecticut Explored’s 20th anniversary, we launched an initiative to find 20 people and projects that are taking us into the future of the study of Connecticut history. We received over 120 nominations from the public and then chose 20 that are Connecticut history game changers. This our third podcast where we interview one of our CT History Game Changer Honorees-talking to the people making change happen.

 

Today’s episode is about Game Changer Honoree the Mary & Eliza Freeman Center for History and Community. The Center is restoring and preserving the historic Mary and Eliza Freeman Houses in Bridgeport’s Little Liberia community, built about 1822 and some of the oldest houses built by African Americans in Connecticut. Mary Donohue, Asst. Publisher Emeritus, interviews guests Maisa Tisdale, President and CEO of the Center and Dr. Sarah Sportman, CT State Archeologist at the University of Connecticut.

 

To learn more about the Freeman Center, visit their website at https://freemancenterbpt.org/

 

And to learn more about the Office of the Connecticut State Archeologist, visit the website at https://osa.uconn.edu/

 

 Order your copy of the Gamechanger issue of Connecticut Explored at https://www.ctexplored.org/fall-2022-the-future-of-connecticut-history/

 

This episode was produced by Mary Donohue for Connecticut Explored and engineered by Patrick O’Sullivan of https://www.highwattagemedia.com/

Donohue has documented the built environment and pop culture for over 30 years. Contact her at marydonohue@comcast.net

Please join us again for the next episode of Grating the Nutmeg.

Photo credit: Mary & Eliza Freeman Center for History and Community, Bridgeport, CT.