A
Conversation with Senator Donald Williams,
President
Pro Tempore of the CT State Senate
Old State House Conversations at Noon – Tues., June 17,
2014
View as PDF
For Immediate Release
June 2, 2014
Contact: Chris Zaccaro
(860) 246-1553 ext. 116
Senator
Donald E. Williams Jr., President Pro Tempore of the Connecticut State Senate
and author of the new book Prudence
Crandall’s Legacy, surprised many when he announced his retirement from
politics earlier this year. Having served in the Senate since 1993, he rose to
the rank of President Pro Tempore, the highest rank for a General Assembly
legislator, in just eleven years. Since assuming the position, he served under Republican
and Democratic administrations and became the longest-serving president of
Connecticut’s Senate chamber since the position’s inception in 1845.
Join
us Tuesday, June 17th for our next installment of Conversations at
Noon where Senator Williams will explore his new book about Prudence Crandall’s
unique role in the fight for civil rights and her influence on legal arguments
for equality in America. After his talk, he will reflect on his career as
lawmaker, his future after the Senate and what he thinks about the future of
politics within the state of Connecticut during a one-on-one interview with the
Connecticut Network’s Diane Smith.
Coincidently,
Prudence Crandall, the subject of Senator Williams’ book, has a historical
connection with Connecticut’s Old State House. It was within the Old State
House that the Black Law of 1833 was passed, making it illegal in Connecticut
to teach African-American students from out of state without the written
consent of the town. After disregarding the law and continuing to teach, Crandall
was arrested and her trial eventually ended up at the Old State House. She was
later found not guilty on a technicality by the State Supreme Court of Errors,
however her school was closed.
Bring
your lunch and enjoy this free event, which lasts from noon until 1 p.m. Major
funding for Conversations at Noon is provided by Connecticut Humanities.
Conversations at Noon is taped in front of a live audience by the Connecticut
Network (CT-N).
Located
in Hartford just minutes from the Connecticut Science Center, Wadsworth Atheneum
and the Connecticut Riverfront, Connecticut’s Old State House invites visitors
of all ages to discover that their voices matter, and that words, ideas,
persuasion and debate really can change minds – and, quite possibly, the world.
The building served as the Constitution State’s original seat of government
from 1796 to 1878. For more information on admission process, upcoming events
and parking discounts nearby, become a fan of Connecticut’s Old State House on Facebook,
follow us on Twitter or
visit us online at www.ctoldstatehouse.org.
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