Join us on Sunday, February 16^th at 4:00 P.M. at The Parson Lodge on Pomfret School’s Campus as we explore the  Black History  which took place in our own back yard nearly 200 years ago.  Dr, Rycenga’ s book, Schooling the Nation: The Success of the Canterbury Academy for Black Women will be for sale during the reception.

The Canterbury Academy, started by white educator and Abolitionist Prudence Crandall (1803-1890), provided the highest level of education available to women at the time, to African-American women from across the Northeast. The controversies, legal wrangling, and vigilante violence against the Academy’s inhabitants and very existence, proved a pivotal moment in the struggle against slavery and racism in the United States. Jennifer Rycenga, author of a recent ground-breaking book on the subject, demonstrates how intersectional the Academy was, and the lessons it provides for our time, when women, people of color, and education itself are beleaguered.

In April 1833 a white abolitionist, Prudence Crandall, opened the Canterbury Female Academy, a landmark in the struggle for Black women’s education, for Black citizenship, for Abolition, and for unmasking Northern racism. Now Schooling the Nation: The Success of the Canterbury Female Academy for Black Women conveys the powerful and moving story of Crandall and her Black students. The story of the brief-lived school (April 1833-September 1834) prioritizes the roles played by Black women and white women — and shows how allies can use their privilege to create social change. Many of the Black women who attended the Canterbury Female Academy went on to be teachers, activists, and leaders in the Black community. Likewise, the important white and Black Abolitionists drawn to the struggle in Canterbury made lasting contributions across the decades leading to emancipation.

The story of the Canterbury Female Academy is replete with courtroom dramas and vigilante attacks, bravery in the face of opposition, and the noble work of pursuing education despite constant insult and threat. It is a story of inter-racial cooperation and women’s actions that we as Americans need to know, now more than ever. The initiative for the Academy came from women, Black and white, and its continuity was nurtured by support from the students’ families and a growing white female Abolitionist movement.

Jennifer Rycenga has meticulously researched the history of all participants in the Canterbury Academy controversy. The book follows the students’ and teachers’ life stories after vigilante violence forced the school to close. This is the first full-length study to examine the Academy as an inter-racial and anti-racist project.

Jennifer Rycenga is Professor Emerita in Religious Studies and Humanities at San José State University. For over 25 years she taught classes in American religious history, gender studies, and world cultures. She is a strong and enthusiastic speaker on a wide range of subjects.

"As a 30-year IT professional compelled to take a humanities course, I thank my lucky stars that I stumbled into a class with the amazing Doctor Rycenga.  In all my years, I've never encountered a better storyteller; someone who could break through to my STEM-addled brain with a unique combination of fact, wit, and wonder." - B.J.B., former student

“As a former student I always found her lectures to be not only excellent, but also engaging and thought-provoking. Professor Rycenga's passion for the subject matter shines through in her presentations, making learning a truly enjoyable experience.” - R. B., former student