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05/04/2024 09:30 AMA Witness Stone to honor Cambridge Gould, an enslaved man who lived in Branford circa 1757, was installed May 3 outside First Congregational Church through a collaborative effort. The event included a presentation at the church with students and teachers of Branford High School (BHS) Social Studies who collaborated with the Witness Stones Project, together with comments from community dignitaries, church and visiting faith officials, educators and students. Branford Historical Society and the Branford Community Foundation contributed to project funding.
A crowd of BHS students filed into the church sanctuary on the Branford green at 9 a.m. to hear a commemorative service to honor Cambridge Gould. The event also marked the culmination of the project’s research, study, and reflection among students in BHS grade 10 U.S. History classes, led by BHS Social Studies Instructional Coach Jim Carlson. Their project work was assisted by Witness Stones Project, a nonprofit, Guilford-based educational, outreach, and awareness initiative.
Carlson introduced the program which included statements from Dennis Culliton of Witness Stones Project and Branford First Selectman Jamie Cosgrove; and invocation by Rev. Esau Greene, pastor, New Antioch Church of God; and community statements from Rev. Thomas Blake, priest in charge, Trinity Episcopal Church, and Rev. Joe Perdue, senior minister, First Congregational Church. Additionally, student reflections on the project and a reading from “Cambridge’s Biography” were read by BHS students.
Perdue said many would like to pretend they would be heroes in stories of those who stood up to abolish slavery in America or became involved in other actions such as the Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s, and civil rights and social justice issues of today.
“If we want to honor Cambridge, if we really want to honor him and all those like him whose names we will never know, this is a really good start. But laying the stone has to be the foundation of a movement of justice. Otherwise, it’s just performative. And that is worse than ignoring it,” said Perdue. “So as we tell our stories, I encourage all of you to take the initiative to be the hero of the story. Be the person that you hope you would have been had you been alive during Cambridge’s life.”
Greene shared that he is only three generations removed from enslavement in his family.
“My great-grandmother was captured in Ghana and brought to America. So we still feel and see the effects of slavery today,” said Greene. “Cambridge Gould was the name that was given by his enslavers. And as we commemorate and celebrate Cambridge Gould, we have to remember that this was a man. A man who endured heartache, disappointment; the ambiguity of not knowing, truly, his own name.”
Greene said as the stone is laid and the legacy of the enslaved man known as Cambridge Gould is celebrated, Greene’s question is “...but did he truly know who he was? But he kept on fighting, for dignity, no doubt for love, no doubt for acceptance.”
Greene said the efforts of those involved with project will extend that legacy to help others gain a deeper understanding of humanity.
“No matter your color or creed, humanity should be always be celebrated. So I celebrate you, and thank you,” he said.
Cosgrove recognized the additional effort undertaken by Carlson, the teachers and students to develop and undertake an important project outside of the regular curriculum.
“I believe it’s projects like this that have the true, everlasting impact on students,” said Cosgrove. “I believe strongly that they’ll carry this lesson that they learned forward in their lives.“
Cosgrove also thanked all involved for bringing the project forward and placing the Witness Stone in the community, as a way to bring recognition to the life of Cambridge Gould and enslaved people “closer to to home.”
“When you bring something closer to home, I feel that raises the level of empathy that one has. With empathy comes understanding. And through that understanding we truly create a better society; understanding we should not shy away from the past. We should understand and we should learn how do we make our lives, and the lives of others, better. We do that through understanding and empathy,” said Cosgrove.
Outside the church on land facing Main Street, the students applauded as Branford State Representative Robin Comey (D, District 102), placed the stone into a surround of Stony Creek pink granite, which has been used for memorials across the country, Culliton noted.
Culliton thanked Comey for assisting with connecting the effort to the Witness Stones Project. Comey also serves with the Branford Historical Society. Comey thanked the students for their work to research, honor, and remember Cambridge Gould, and for the comments they shared at the event.
“The work, and the words, and the story that I heard giving us a window into our past is 100 times more than anything I ever expected. What an incredible job all our students, staff, teachers and supporters have done,” said Comey.
In a Branford Public Schools press release, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Christopher Tranberg and Branford Community Foundation Executive Director Liza Petra also shared comments on the project.
“I’m grateful to the Branford Historical Society and the Branford Community Foundation for sponsoring and funding the high school’s partnership with The Witness Stones Project. For our students, having the opportunity to unearth the history of Cambridge Gould allows them to connect in a deep and meaningful way to the history of their town and to share that connection with everyone who now will see Cambridge Gould’s Witness Stone in front of First Congregational Church,” Tranberg said.
“The Branford Community Foundation was honored to support this important effort to shine the light on a few forgotten stories of enslaved people in Branford,” said Petra. “We are proud of the work the students and the community have done to research and share this important piece of our collective history.”