Forces of Change: Enslaved and Free Blacks in New Canaan

This exhibition, funded by a grant from the New Canaan Community Foundation, explores the lives and history of the enslaved people who lived in Canaan Parish and New Canaan prior to Connecticut’s ban on slavery.  It also highlights the significant role that blacks have played in shaping this community and advocating for change.

From the founding of the Community Baptist Church to the success of the N.A.A.C.P. New Canaan Chapter to the Black Lives Matter march following the murder of George Floyd, the exhibition sheds light on a long-neglected part of New Canaan’s history.