This is a lecture, film screenings & discussion regarding Connecticut's 29th & 30th Colored Regiments during the Civil War. It occurred on February 4th, 2024 at the Avon Senior Citizen Center and was hosted by the Avon Historical Society.

John Mills, President and Founder of the Alex Breanne Corporation, provided context into the challenges faced by the men of the 29th and 30th Connecticut Colored Regiments. Two short documentary films were then screened.

Christopher Barlow of the Berlin Equity Action Team provided background regarding the inspiration and making of his film which won “Best CT Film” at the Mystic Film Festival.

John Noone, retired CT National Guardsman for the Connecticut National Guard, provided context around the making of his 2020 film, which was based on “Out of the Briars,” a book written in 1910 by Alexander Newton who served in the 29th Connecticut.

The original event also included screenings of both documentaries, but due to copyright reasons, the documentaries have been excluded from this video. To view the documentary by the Berlin Equity Action Team, please visit https://www.beatberlinct.org/.