History, Complicity, and Lamentation

Keeping the Primus Legacy Alive: A Conversation with Jesse Harris

In this holiday episode of The Primus Project Podcast, we look back on “Marked in Memory,” a September gathering at Zion Hill Cemetery honoring Rebecca Primus and the Primus family with the installation of a long-overdue headstone. You’ll hear powerful reflections from Primus descendants—including a prayer from Rev. Dr. Gloria Harris Cater, a letter voiced in Rebecca’s spirit by Jacqueline Harris, and educator Chaya Harris on carrying the family’s legacy of teaching forward. Then hosts Scott and Nicole sit down in the studio with Jesse Harris, the family descendant helping lead the work of remembrance. Jesse shares his decades-long journey through archives and cemeteries, the community partnerships that have accelerated the project, and his efforts to recover the story—and surviving artwork—of Rebecca’s brother, the portrait artist Nelson Primus. Together, they explore why place, memory, and public history matter, and what it takes to keep a family legacy alive. Show notes * Learn more: Barbara Beeching, Hopes and Expectations [https://www.amazon.com/Hopes-Expectations-Origins-Middle-Hartford/dp/1438461658]; Farah Jasmine Griffin, Beloved Sisters and Loving Friends [https://www.amazon.com/Beloved-Sisters-Loving-Friends-Connecticut/dp/0345408543] * Visit: Connecticut Freedom Trail listings for the Primus Family Resting Ground (Zion Hill Cemetery) [https://ctfreedomtrail.org/connecticut-freedom-trail-sites/the-resting-ground-of-the-primus-family-a-legacy-of-black-hartford/] and the Ham Primus House (Guilford) [https://ctfreedomtrail.org/connecticut-freedom-trail-sites/ham-primus-house-in-guilford/] * Photos from the event: Instagram @PrimusProjectTrinity [https://www.instagram.com/primusprojecttrinity/]

Talking Reparations with Bishop John Selders

What do reparations truly mean, and how might they take shape at Trinity College? In this thought-provoking episode, we dive into the broader conversation about reparations and begin to imagine what a meaningful reparations program could look like in our own community. Joining hosts Nicole Ankrah and Scott Gac in the studio is the inspiring Bishop John Selders⁠ [https://moralmondayct.org/bishop-john-selders/]—activist, faith leader, and a powerful voice in the fight for racial justice. Together, they explore the history, urgency, and possibilities of reparations, offering insights that challenge and inspire. Nicole also highlights What is Owed?⁠ [https://www.wgbh.org/podcasts/what-is-owed], a compelling podcast series by GBH News political reporter Saraya Wintersmith—be sure to check it out! Tune in for an engaging and necessary conversation that reimagines justice, accountability, and the path forward. Don't miss this one! 🎙️✨

History, Complicity, and Lamentation

In this episode, hosts Nicole Ankrah and Scott Gac talk to Trinity College alumnus and trustee Will Thomas [https://history.unl.edu/william-thomas-iii]about the college's close relationship to the system of slavery in the 19th century, how to understand who is complicit with human enslavement and who is not, and the role of lamentation in processing difficult histories.