Under the Charter Oak

Living the Stories

1 h 18 min · 1. feb. 2026
episode Living the Stories cover

Description

What do William Webb, Jordan Freeman, and James H. Williams have in common? They were all black men who lived in Connecticut before the 1900’s, and they’ve all been portrayed as living history figures by Kevin Johnson an employee of the Connecticut State Library’s History and Genealogy department. This month Ashley, Kym, and Matt are joined by Kevin to learn about his research and the creative process that went into brining to life three men from CT’s history. Kevin’s passion for history and education is almost unprecedented, and his enthusiasm is infectious, and we mention Denzel Washington! Can’t get enough of Kevin! Listen to his episode on the Grating the Nutmeg Podcast! [https://gratingthenutmeg.libsyn.com/126-the-three-lives-of-kevin-johnson] What we’re reading: The Leaving Room by Amber McBride [https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250411440/theleavingroom/] Zoey and Sasafrass: Dragons and Marshmallows by Asia Citro [https://www.zoeyandsassafras.com/thebooks] The End of Drum-Time by Hanna Pylväinen [https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250822901/theendofdrumtime/] Colores Patriots of the American Revolution by William C Nell [https://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/nell/nell.html]   Resource we mentioned: Kevin Johnson's performance schedule [https://libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/c.php?g=920251&p=6631485] The Connecticut State Library [https://portal.ct.gov/csl?language=en_US] History & Genealogy: The Nutmeg Navigator Blog [https://libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/c.php?g=262640&p=8759789&t=174512] The Voice of Black America by Philip S. Foner [https://www.amazon.com/Voice-Black-America-Speeches-1797-1971/dp/0671208241] Black Soldiers of the Revolutionary War   Credit: “Wholesome” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/be/3.0/ [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/be/3.0/] The Connecticut State Library. Preserving the Past to Inform the Future!

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14 episodes

episode Connecticut's Revolution, Season 1.5 Ep. 3: King George III Statue Fragment artwork

Connecticut's Revolution, Season 1.5 Ep. 3: King George III Statue Fragment

In the 1770s, Americans had big feelings about King George III, so much so that a 4,000 pound lead sculpture of him that was installed in 1770 on Bowling Green, New York, was torn down by 1776. Dramatic as that sounds, what happens to 4,000 pounds of anything? And how did a caped shoulder of the statue end up at the Museum of Connecticut History? As usual, every item has a story.   Learn about King George III, his statue, and why we have a piece of the sculpture on this week's episode of Small but Mighty: Connecticut's Revolution. Credit:  "Royal Coupling"  Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ The Connecticut State Library. Preserving the Past to Inform the Future! The Connecticut State Library. Preserving the Past to Inform the Future!

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episode Connecticut's Revolution, Season 1.5 Ep. 2: The 2nd Regiment of Light Dragoons Flag artwork

Connecticut's Revolution, Season 1.5 Ep. 2: The 2nd Regiment of Light Dragoons Flag

The 2nd Regiment of Light Dragoons was made up of hundreds of brave soldiers, one of which was Private Joseph Robins, an Indigenous man who may have belonged to the Nipmuc, Pequot, Mohegan, or Narragansett nations. While we don't know why he enlisted in the military, we're able to follow a bit of his journey through his wife Elizabeth Robins. What we do know is that he was chosen by George Washington as one of 20 soldiers to receive Cornwallis’ surrender at Yorktown! Learn about the 2nd Regiment of Light Dragoons and Private Joseph Robins on this week's episode of Small but Mighty: Connecticut's Revolution. Credit:  "Royal Coupling"  Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ The Connecticut State Library. Preserving the Past to Inform the Future!

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episode Never More Than 15 Minutes Away! artwork

Never More Than 15 Minutes Away!

In this lively episode of Under the Charter Oak, Ashley, Kym, and Matt welcome a special guest from outside the library world, Kristen Bellantuono from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) State Parks. Kristen oversees beloved statewide programs including No Child Left Inside, and the long‑running Sky’s the Limit Hiking and Walking Challenge, which will probably occupy the rest of Kym's year, that leaderboard is everything to her. Together the group discuss how DEEP works to make outdoor recreation safe, educational, and accessible for everyone. Which state parks will you visit this year? What we’re reading: Connecticut State Parks: A Centennial History [https://ctdeepstore.com/products/connecticut-state-parks-a-centennial-history] Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/780686/yesteryear-a-gma-book-club-pick-by-caro-claire-burke/] The Children's Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/555989/the-childrens-blizzard-by-melanie-benjamin/] Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/183598/cutting-for-stone-by-abraham-verghese/]  Still Live by Louise Penny [https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250403865/stilllifedeluxeedition/] Resource we mentioned: Sky's the Limit [https://ctparks.com/skys-the-limit-hiking-challenge] No Child Left Inside  [https://ctparks.com/NCLI] Credit: “Wholesome” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/be/3.0/ [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/be/3.0/] The Connecticut State Library. Preserving the Past to Inform the Future!

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