Naming school after Bemans will highlight equality

We citizens of Middletown have an opportunity to honor our history with the naming of our new middle school. By choosing the name “Beman Middle School,” we convey the message that courage, sacrifice, responsibility and inclusivity matter.

The Beman family served Middletown as abolitionists, ministers, organizers and advocates of education. They did so despite the real threat of violence. Their history, like that of so many Black Americans, is one that was brushed aside. We can and should shine a light on the Beman family’s story. Their history is Middletown’s history, too — one of which we all can be proud.

Caesar Beman, the patriarch, was born a slave in Colchester. He earned his freedom by serving in the Revolutionary War in place of his master. His son, Jehiel Beman, served as the first regular pastor to Middletown’s Cross Street AME Zion Church.

In 1834, Jehiel was also a founding member of the Middletown Anti-Slavery Society and served as a conductor for the Underground Railroad. Jehiel’s wife, sons and daughter-in-law all contributed to this cause as well as to Black suffrage, advancement and integration. The Bemans persisted during a hostile period in which 4 million people of African descent toiled as slaves.

Representation matters. Middletown has 12 public schools, 10 of which are named for educators, politicians and military men. Only one is named for a person of color.

Jeanie Gugliemino, Middletown