Did you know that the country’s first African-American poet lived in Bennington County?  Lucy Terry Prince, a poet and storyteller, settled in Sunderland in the late 1790’s, along with four children.  The family had a cultural impact on the town, living in Sunderland for over 50 years. This presentation brings to life the story and struggles of their time in Sunderland and also brings a fresh perspective in considering the roles that Lucy and her descendants had in the world of work. Our presenter will explore six generations of the Prince family through the lens of their role in the labor force — which is in keeping with the theme of Black History Month 2025.  

Avis Hayden has been researching families for thirty-five years. In particular she enjoys fitting family stories within the social and economic context of the era in which these family members lived. She earned a certificate in genealogy from Boston University where she learned to focus on not just people within families but their relationships to each other. Avis lives in Sunderland, which is the town where Lucy Prince and her family lived for some fifty years.