The John Brown Project Wins National Award of Excellence for Local Nonprofit

The history award is an extension of the state-level award Culture 4 A Cause won in 2023

We are delighted to represent Connecticut as an Award of Excellence winner in the Leadership in History Awards from the American Association for State and Local History. The AASLH Leadership in History Awards is the most prestigious recognition for achievement in preserving and interpreting state and local history. The Award of Excellence recognizes excellence in projects and lifetime achievement; Culture 4 A Cause is being awarded for The John Brown Project.

The John Brown Project was formed through Culture 4 A Cause to promote equality through history and art, specifically music. We paid artists to make public art, and not only is the public art now available, it is being recognized on a national scale.

His Truth Is Marching On is a film about America told through a song about a kid from Torrington. It mainly features NW Connecticut musicians and Torrington scenery.

The project began as a community song recording collaboration, which the CT Office of the Arts funded. It grew into a music video and short documentary film. The film has been featured in the 2024 Black History Film Festivals in Washington, DC, and Atlanta, GA, and in 2023, it won a CT League of History Organizations Award of Merit.

I am proud that we could invest about $14,000 in the Northwest Connecticut arts economy while producing this movie. Fourteen thousand dollars is not that much, but it helped many artists navigate through the dark days of COVID-19. Equally rewarding was working collaboratively with so many of the area's prestigious arts and culture institutions.

Why we launched the John Brown Project:

We wanted to say and do a few things with this project. It was during the George Floyd era, and we wanted to say to our community that everyone is valued because they are people.

We also wanted to call attention to a kid from Torrington who got a bad rap because pretty much everything he said turned out to be correct. Because of it, he was buried in history by racists on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line, and other tropes persist.

Finally, we wanted to give a sonic boost to the arts and culture infrastructure in NW Connecticut.

Why the John Brown Project is important:

The project celebrates equality, which is what democracy depends on.

The project celebrates the arts, which is what humanity depends on.

The project brought the community together to make something excellent, which Torrington depends on.

Organizational partners:

The John Brown Project profoundly thanks all who worked with us on this nationally-recognized project.

• Culture 4 A Cause

• Torrington High School

• CT Office of the Arts

• Chorus Angelicus

• NWCT Arts Council

• Torrington Historical Society

• Five Points Arts Center

• Our Culture is Beautiful

• City of Torrington

• CT Department of the Humanities

• NW CT Community Foundation

Individual donors:

• Nora Sullivan

• Mary Leblanc

• Rachel Harrel

• Thompzin Tilley

• Jennine Lupo

• Daniel Yanok

• Anonymous (x8)

• Tinsley Morrison

• Chris Weydeveld

• Annelieke Schauer

• Nancy McMillan

• Mary Parker

• Margaret Capen

• Nancy Weitz

• Stephanie Barksdale

• Daniel Morrison

Corporate sponsors:

• Torrington Savings Bank

• Toth Insurance

• Mel Brickman

Musicians, in order of appearance:

• Clifton Matias (Kichwa/Taino) (Flute)

• Rev Angaza Mwando (djembe)

• Enzo (vocals, Chorus Angelicus)

• Guy Wolff (banjo)

• Barbara McGavern (vocals)

• Torrington High School Marching Band

• Chorus Angelcus' Gaudeamus (bass/tenor quintet)

• Charles Bickford (guitar)

• Ysanne Marshal (vocals)

• Johnny Davis (piano)

• Mick Connolly (bass and drums)

• Chorus Angelicus (full choir)

• Darlene Battle (vocals)

• Keith Leak & New Mercies (vocals)

• Lucinda Rowe (vocals)

• Mick Connolly (vocals, guitar, bass, and drums)

• Jacque Williams (vocals, rap)

• Peter Pobuda (rap)

• Enzo (vocals, Chorus Angelicus)