1833, in New Bern, NC, a free black woman named Mary Herritage married her love, an enslaved man named Thaddeus Newton. Thaddeus was enslaved by Peter and Catherine Custis, relatives of Robert E. Lee. They had kids, but because Thaddeus was enslaved, Mary had to make her own way.

I was informed by Ms. Francis Martin of the Mattatuck Museum that I had been selected by individuals at the Museum and Riverside Cemetery to deliver Fortune’s story at the 10 year anniversary memorial of Fortune’s burial, occurring on September 13th, 2023.