EASTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) – Easthampton City leaders invited the public to attend a special learning opportunity focused on Slavery and Emancipation in the Connecticut River Valley.

Springfield College Assistant Professor of History, Ian Delahanty shared recent findings on the largely buried history of the enslavement of Black and Indigenous people in our area. He spoke about the factors that shaped and continue to influence the lives of enslaved people and their descendants in our region.

“I think just simply, you cannot tell the history of early New England and in particular, the Connecticut river valley without talking about the histories of enslavement, not just for Africans and African Americans, but also for native Americans as well,” said Springfield College Assistant Professor of History, Ian Delahanty.

last December, the Easthampton City Council passed a resolution in support of the Federal Government’s bill to create a commission to research enslavement and systemic racism.