On Thursday, May 2, eighteen history and art students represented the school at the third annual Troutbeck Symposium in Amenia, NY. The Symposium offers middle and high school students opportunities to research local BIPOC history and create documentary films, art exhibitions, and other events sharing their research.
In 2020, Salisbury School History Teacher Rhonana Mokriski and documentary producer Ben Willis organized the inaugural Troutbeck Symposium. Due to pandemic restrictions, students were limited to creating short documentaries about local African American history. In the following school year, Mokriski and Willis expanded the program.
W.E.B. Du Bois and other civil rights leaders gathered at the Troutbeck Hotel in 1916 and 1933 to discuss the advancement of the civil rights movement in a series of meetings now known as the Amenia Conferences. Almost a century later, the Symposium aims to provide an opportunity for local students to delve into local BIPOC history.
The Symposium was held over three days, from May 1 through 3. On the fi rst day, Troutbeck and the Du Bois Forum held a dedication ceremony commemorating the Amenia Conferences, pivotal moments for the NAACP and the civil rights movement.
On Thursday, May 2, students gathered in Troutbeck’s ballroom to share their research and speak with guests. Projects included documentaries, slideshows, ceramics, and poetry.
Friday’s program included a roundtable discussion for donors and speeches from distinguished guests, including Dr. Hassan Kwame Jeffries, associate history professor of history at the Ohio State University, and Dr. Christina Proenza-Coles, lecturer for American Studies at the University of Virginia.
Ms. Terri Moore, director of studio art, said, “The value of the Troutbeck Symposium lies in the significance of this incredibly important history and how it is located just twenty minutes from our campus! Current and future historians, artists, and change-makers in the world coming together at Troutbeck not only honors the work of the NAACP luminaries but continues to tell the ongoing stories of their goals.”
