The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
‘The Search for William Grimes’ to be screened
LITCHFIELD — Residents are invited to join the Litchfield Historical Society in welcoming Regina Mason, international speaker, author, playwright, and producer, for a screening of her awardwinning documentary, “Gina’s Journey: The Search for William Grimes.”
The screening and following discussion will be held at Forman School’s Visual and Performing Arts Center on Sunday, Feb. 4 at noon. This free event is sponsored by the Connecticut Community Foundation.
The film follows Mason’s path as she traces the steps of her ancestor, William Grimes, who traveled the Underground Railroad from Georgia to freedom in Connecticut. Grimes spent time in Litchfield, owned several businesses and worked for many Litchfield Law School students.
The film conveys not only Mason’s long road to uncover the past, but also the unimaginable conditions that Grimes faced as he struggled to free himself from slavery.
With the help of Litchfield residents, Grimes was eventually able to purchase his freedom. In 1825 Grimes published his story, the first fugitive slave narrative in U. S. History, written while in Litchfield. Locations in the film include the Tapping Reeve House and Litchfield Law The screening and following discussion will be held at Forman School’s Visual and Performing Arts Center on Sunday, Feb. 4 at noon. This free event is sponsored by the Connecticut Community Foundation. School. The screening will be followed by a discussion and reception with producer Regina Mason and director Sean Durant. To learn more about the project visit www.ginasjourney.com.
The event will be held at the Visual and Performing Arts Center at Forman School, 12 Norfolk Road, Litchfield. The screening is free and open to the public.
Registration is required. To register, call 860-5674501 or email registration@litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org. For more information about this or other programs, please visit www.litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org.
The Litchfield Historical Society is located at 7 South St., Litchfield. The exhibits re-open in April 2018. The Litchfield Historical Society receives no funding from the town. In an effort to better serve our community, the Litchfield History Museum and the Tapping Reeve House & Law School offer free admission for all.