Local historian Cliff McCarthy will speak about his mixed-race family, telling the story of his grandfather’s “passing” over the color line and his accomplished family members. He will describe how his family’s incredible story illuminates many aspects of African American history and the history of the country. Free and open to the public.

Cliff McCarthy is the archivist at the Stone House Museum and author/editor of several books on Belchertown’s history. A student of African American history, Cliff monitors a website called “Freedom Stories of the Pioneer Valley”. He helped lead the “Documenting the Early History of Black Lives in the Connecticut River Valley” project of the Pioneer Valley History Network.