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When Families Converge: How Free Is Free

This presentation traces the achievements and challenges of two families with distinctively different beginnings in 19th-century America.

One family’s history commences with a free man of color in Maryland; the other family traces its origins to an infant born into slavery on a plantation in Mississippi. Our story highlights how these families eventually came together. This program is sponsored by the St. Charles Equity & Inclusion Commission and the St. Charles Public Library. 

Presenter: JANICE BRUCE HIGHTOWER, MA, LPCC
Janice, a native of Washington DC, spent nearly 40 years as a civil rights compliance officer for governmental, University, and private nonprofit entities. She trained employees and citizens regarding their rights, investigated complaints, and made determinations to correct infringement of those rights when violations were found. After retirement, she became known as an exciting and well-informed storyteller on civil rights issues. Janice uses humor combined with a down-to-earth style to vitalize her topics.  Her Master of Arts degree in counseling and her license as a psychotherapist have contributed to her understanding of human dynamics in both individual and group settings.

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