westchester

After a two-year closure for renovations, the Prudence Crandall Museum is back open for tours.

Prudence Crandall fought for equality when she opened her school to only Black and brown girls.

<b>MORE:&nbsp;</b><a href="https://portal.ct.gov/DECD/Content/Historic-Preservation/04_State_Museums/Prudence-Crandall-Museum">Prudence Crandall Museum Information&nbsp;</a>

In this week's Road Trip Close to Home, News 12 Photojournalist Lori Golias takes us to Canterbury for a glimpse into her harrowing story.

Connecticut

CT | Weather

The latest forecast details from News 12 Connecticut

News 12 Connecticut Weather Report

Weather

Article 301073 Thumbnail

Road Trip: Visit the newly renovated Prudence Crandall Museum in Canterbury

JLCTROADTRIP728PM22

after two year closure for renovations. The Prudence Crandall Museum is back open for tours. Prudence Crandall fought for equality when she opened her school to only black and brown girls. And this week's road trip close to home News 12 Photo journalist Laurie Goliath takes us to Canterbury for a glimpse into her harrowing story. Our building is really our largest and our most important artifact we are at the Prudence Crandall Museum, which is the site of the Canterbury female boarding school. Located in Canterbury Connecticut. This is the place where it all happened. It is a guided tour experience, isn't having any. I walk you through about four or five rooms of the museum and we go over the whole story. I like it to be a dialogue. I do have a few pieces on display of, you know, Crandall and her time here and and also later in life some photographs. Prudence Crandall is now the official state heroine of Connecticut and she was a teacher and a principal. When she tried to integrate her school in 18 33 the local townspeople were not supportive of her decision to do so. So she closes her school down for white students and reopens it for black and brown students who primarily attended from out of state. And Prudence Crandall, you know, feels that it's the right thing to do is to teach anyone that wants to learn. And so it's when she integrates her school with Sarah Harris attending. Um that's when the town does not support her decision to do so the state went on to pass what became known as a black law, which said that it was illegal for african americans from out of state to enter Connecticut for the purpose of receiving an education without prior town approval. Prudence Crandall continued to run her school. She was arrested for breaking this law. She went to jail, she spent one night in jail and had three court trials before the case was dismissed on a technicality. I think her her strongest legacy in in education and citizenship for african americans is really in her trials because Crandall versus Connecticut ends up serving unfortunately, as the precedent for the dread scott decision, which denies citizenship for african americans And her her court case was also also cited in the written arguments by Thurgood Marshall for Brown vs Board of Education. Um and that was of course the court case that ended segregation in 1954 when you're walking on the floorboards where the students may have walked and just being on the grounds and seeing the location where everything occurred, allowing people access to it and being able to share this story. To me, that was, that was the most important thing, Alright, and tours are held Friday through Tuesday for more information on tours and upcoming events, you can head over to news 12.com

https://vod.chdrstatic.com/transcode/cae3d20b-9ad2-4ad1-9cbc-6373eeb45962/cae3d20b-9ad2-4ad1-9cbc-6373eeb45962.transcribe