I've now been informed that the State of Connecticut will be providing the developer $25,000 for the purpose of honoring Prince Mortimer as part of the property redevelopment effort!!! They are waiting for the outcome of my meeting with the developer as input into how that money is used in honoring Prince! What amazing news, especially as we head into Black History Month!

I came home to this email! Our first grant award!!! Alex Breanne Corporation has been awarded a $5,100 CT Cultural Fund Operating Support Grant from CT Humanities (CTH), with funding from the Connecticut State Department of Economics and Community Development/ Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) from the Connecticut State Legislature!!!

It took me a while to accept it; but when God shows you the purpose in your path and why he blessed you with the gifts you have, you must then walk. I’m hopeful this montage provides some semblance of my heart and intent.

Last week, in viewing our non-profit corporation logo, a friend said. “Is this your wife’s silhouette? Curious about the back story!" I explained that it wasn't any particular person, just a generic image meant to represent the plight of the American enslaved. It was meant to highlight the largely unsung leadership role the African-American woman has always played, which is why I intentionally depicted the woman as leading. It’s in dark shades to represent the difficult in finding and seeing who they were due to lack of documentation.

Prince Mortimer was an 18th century enslaved individual and Revolutionary War vet in Connecticut who was sent to prison for life at age 87, accused of attempting to poison his enslaver as a means to free himself. He should have been freed 4 decades prior for his service in the Revolutionary War, but wasn’t. He also should have been freed in 1794 when his prior enslaver (Philip Mortimer) freed him in his will…a will that was overturned in the courts when contested by the enslavers son-in-law (George Starr), who became his new enslaver and the person he was accused of attempting to poison in 1811.

I've been digging, trying to find proof Prince Mortimer’s remains were sent to Yale for dissection.

Still digging hard to find Prince, but I persist while disturbed by an annoying splinter in my mind. It's rooted in the irony of having identifying documentation of Prince afforded us solely because he was sent to prison.