Several students joined Arlis Astudillo, Mathematics Department Chair and Facilitator of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, on a field trip to the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center in Hartford last week. The Center’s mission is to encourage social justice and literary activism by exploring the legacy of Harriet Beecher Stowe and all who advocated hope and freedom then and now. 

"The trip began with students exploring the Harriet Beecher Stowe Visitor Center. The center was home to a bookstore with Stowe's novels as well as art and images of influential People of Color of the time, like Sojourner Truth," Arlis said. "Students then got a look at the Harriet Beecher Stowe house and posed for a picture. The students then participated in a tour of the Mark Twain House, just steps away from the Stowe Center. This was a great opportunity for students to explore history experientially while also learning about the influence of people of color in history."

Interestingly, Forman’s campus has a unique connection to Harriett Beecher Stowe. Here is some information shared by Health and Wellness Teacher Annie Crawford: Forman’s original Beecher House was the childhood home of Harriet Beecher Stowe. The house was located elsewhere in Litchfield at the time, and she lived there until she was 13 years old. The family then moved, and the house was eventually relocated to its spot on our campus. It was turned into a sanitarium, and then, when the campus became the Spring Hill Academy, it was converted into a dorm. It was then used as a dorm on Forman's campus until 1997 when it was torn down, and a new building was erected on the original foundation.