Upcoming Events
The Narrative of Primus Book Launch at CT’s Old State House!
n Wednesday, April 29, 2026 at 6pm, genealogist and historian John Mills will host the official book launch event for his debut work, The Narrative of Primus: A Lineage Woven into America’s History, on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Connecticut's Old State House in Hartford, CT.
Lecture: Stories of Connecticut’s Black Patriots
On April 30th, 2026 at 6:30pm, John Mills will be giving a lecture at the Russell Mercier Senior Center in Hebron, CT.
Lecture: Stories of Connecticut's Black Patriots
On Sunday, May 3, 2026 at 11:30am, John Mills will be giving a lecture for the John P. Webster Library, in West Hartford, CT.
Author Talk: Discussing the Narrative of Primus
On Wednesday, May 6, 2026 at 5:30pm, John Mills will be giving an author talk at the Otis Library in Norwich, Connecticut.
Lecture: Connecticut, Color and the Fight for Freedom
On May 14, 2026 at 6:30pm, John Mills will be giving a lecture at the Wood Human Services Center in Bloomfield, CT.
Wethersfield, CT Memorial Day Parade
On May 23, 2026 at 10am, John Mills will be serving as the speaker for Wethersfield, Connecticut’s annual Memorial Day Parade ceremony, taking place on Saturday, May 23, 2026.
Lecture: Stories of Connecticut’s Black Patriots
On May 30, 2026, John Mills will be giving a talk at the General David Humphreys House in Ansonia, Connecticut.
Lecture: Stories of Connecticut’s Black Patriots
On June 6, 2026 at 4pm, John Mills will be giving a talk at the Ashbel Woodward Museum in Franklin, Connecticut.
Lecture: Connecticut, Color and the Fight for Freedom
On June 18, 2026 at 6:00pm, John Mills will be giving a lecture for the Groton Public Library.
Lecture: Stories of Connecticut’s Black Patriots
On August 13, 2026 at 2pm, John Mills will be giving a talk at the Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, Connecticut.
Lecture: Stories of Connecticut’s Black Patriots
On October 10, 2026 at 4pm, John Mills will be giving a talk at the Cornwall Historical Society in Cornwall, Connecticut.
Primus Mural Community Paint Day!
Primus’s story spans generations. His son served in the Revolutionary War, and two of his second great-grandsons served in the Civil War—one of whom is memorialized on the 29th Connecticut Colored Regiment Monument in New Haven.
Presentation at Simsbury High School
On March 31, 2026 from 12:20pm - 2:10pm, John Mills will be speaking with students at Simsbury High School during their 4th Annual DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) Week!
Author Talk: Discussing the Narrative of Primus
On Monday, March 23, 2026 at 6:00pm, John Mills will be giving an author talk at the Norwich Historical Society’s annual meeting in Norwich, Connecticut!
Discussion with Wesleyan University African American Studies Class
On March 23, 2026 at 1:20pm, John Mills will be speaking with one of the African American Studies classes at Wesleyan University.
Lecture: Connecticut, Color and the Fight for Freedom
On March 21, 2026 at 2pm, John Mills will be giving a lecture for the Sarah Whitman Hooker Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Lecture: Stories of Connecticut’s Black Patriots
On March 21st, 2026, John Mills will be presenting a lecture at Central Connecticut State University. The lecture is entitled, Stories of Connecticut's Black Patriots.
Lecture: Freedom’s Unfinished Promise
On March 20th, 2026, John Mills will be presenting a lecture at Central Connecticut State University. The lecture is entitled, Freedom’s Unfinished Promise.
Lecture: Stories of Connecticut's Black Patriots
On February 25, 2026 at 6:30pm, John Mills will be giving a lecture for the Granby Racial Reconciliation Group.
Portland, CT Black History Month Program
On February 21, 2026 at 1pm, John Mills will be speaking at the Portland, CT Black History Month program.
Lecture: Connecticut, Color and the Fight for Freedom
On February 11, 2026 at 6:30pm, John Mills will be giving a lecture for the Silas Bronson Library in Waterbury, CT.
Lecture at Niantic Community Church
On February 8, 2025 at 2:00pm, John Mills will be giving a lecture at Niantic Community Church, 170 Pennsylvania Avenue in Niantic, CT.
John Mills Speaking for the Middletown, CT Town Council
On February 2, 2025 at 7pm, John Mills will be speaking in front of the Middletown, CT town council. This is in celebration of Black History Month.
Lecture for The Ancient Burying Grounds
On January 29, 2026 at 7pm, John Mills will be giving an online lecture for the Ancient Burying Grounds in Hartford, CT.
Lecture: Stories of Connecticut’s Black Patriots
On January 28, 2026 at 1pm, John Mills will be giving a lecture at the Connecticut State Library in Hartford, CT.
First Church of Simsbury MLK Day Celebration
On January 19th at 2pm, John Mills will be a speaker at the MLK day celebration for First Church of Simsbury! The address is 689 Hopmeadow Street.
Program for the Salisbury School
On January 19th, John Mills will be a holding two sessions at the Salisbury School in Salisbury, CT. The first session will be from 9:45am - 10:40am, and the second will be from 10:50am - 11:40am.
29th Connecticut Colored Regiment Memorial Walk
To honor the 160th anniversary of this historic parade, the Alex Breanne Corporation in collaboration with Connecticut's Old State House is organizing a memorial walk, following the exact footsteps of the soldiers during the Hartford parade of 1865.
Lecture: Connecticut, Color and the Fight for Freedom
On November 18, 2025 at 6:30pm, John Mills will be giving a lecture for the Noah Webster Library in West Hartford, CT.
The Human Library - New York, NY
On September 21, 2025 from 2:00pm - 4pm, John Mills will be participating in a Human Library implementation in Brooklyn, NY. John will be one of the human books.
Spirits Come Alive at Riverside!
On October 4, 2025, I will be part of an event at historic Riverside Cemetery in Waterbury, CT, called, “SPIRITS COME ALIVE AT RIVERSIDE.“
The Human Library - Brooklyn, NY
On September 21, 2025 from 2:00pm - 4pm, John Mills will be participating in a Human Library implementation in Brooklyn, NY. John will be one of the human books.
CT State Community College - Middletown
On September 12, 2025 at 1:30pm, John Mills will be speaking to students at the orientation session for CT State Community College - Middletown!
Venture Smith Day
On Saturday, September 6th, 2025 at 1pm, John Mills will be speaking at Venture Smith Day in East Haddam, CT.
Lecture at Blackstone Memorial Library
On July 31, 2025 at 6pm, John Mills will be giving a lecture at the James Blackstone Memorial Library in Branford, CT.
Lecture: Connecticut and Juneteenth
On June 25th, 2025 at 6pm, John Mills will be giving a talk at Faxon Branch Library in West Hartford!
Norwich Lecture & Walking Tour!
On June 23rd, 2025 at 5:30pm, John Mills will be giving a talk at the First Congregational Church of Norwich! The lecture will focus on a Norwich enslaved man named Primus.
Connecticut & Color: Little known stories of the Black Experience in Connecticut
On June 20th, 2025 at 10am, John Mills will be giving a lecture for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Connecticut - Waterbury.
Mystic Seaport Lecture: Connecticut & Juneteenth
On June 19, 2025 at 3pm, John Mills will be giving a talk during the Juneteenth celebration at Mystic Seaport!
Peter and Esther Jackson Memorial Dedication Ceremony
On June 19, 2025 at 10am, the Alex Breanne Corporation in collaboration with the Simsbury Historical Society and the Town of Simsbury will be unveiling a new monument at Simsbury Cemetery honoring a historic black couple and their family. Their names are Peter and Esther Jackson.
UCFS Lecture: Juneteenth
On June 18, 2025 at Noon, John Mills will be giving a talk UCFS Healthcare in Norwich, CT. The talk will be part of their Juneteenth celebration!