Published:
By Amy J. Barry
It took 167 years for Ebenezer Don Carlos Bassett to be recognized not only as the first student of color to graduate from Central (class of 1853), but for his lifetime of achievements as a highly respected educator, prominent abolitionist, and the first African American ambassador from the United States.
But once the ball got rolling, it took only about five years to bring Bassett’s legacy into the public’s consciousness, and for the state Board of Regents for Higher Education to vote unanimously on Dec.13, 2018, to name the first building on campus after an African American.
This all came to fruition under the tireless leadership of William Fothergill ’89, an associate counselor at Central’s Student Wellness Center, and a team of university and community members on the Bassett Memorialization Committee—among them, Janet Woodruff, administrative coordinator of the Anthropology Department and vice chair of the committee, who Fothergill lauds as instrumental in the success of the project.
On March 20, the university hosted a naming event titled “Still Making History” to honor Bassett and celebrate the official unveiling of Ebenezer Bassett Hall.
“We chose this title because not only is Bassett making history again, so is the university by naming the building after him,” Fothergill says. Bassett Hall is the first building named for an African American in the university system, according to Fothergill.
The festivities began with a processional from the Burritt Library to Bassett Hall, made up of many of Central’s collaborative partners in the naming initiative.
“Bassett is the descendent of two Black Governors — his father and grandfather. In those days, when Black Governors were elected, there was pageantry connected to it, and the community wanted to reciprocate that,” Fothergill explains.
Speakers included Fothergill, Central President Zulma R. Toro, CSCU President Mark Ojakian, and New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart ’09.
In addition, the building was given an official Connecticut Freedom Trail designation. Todd Levine ’98 from the state Historic Preservation Office also attended the ceremony and presented the university with the plaque that will identify Bassett Hall as the 140th site on the Freedom Trail.
Sites chosen for inclusion on the trail embody the struggle toward freedom and human dignity, celebrate the accomplishments of the state's African American community, and promote heritage tourism.
“The designation required a physical location and now we have that with the building,” Fothergill says. “It was a very competitive process. The Freedom Trail voted unanimously to recognize Bassett, and then through him, the university is now being recognized.”
But Fothergill stresses that the naming initiative is not just about celebrating one building. The wider message is to remain mindful that “someone like myself, of African descent, can find images of people who look like me. It’s not just about diversity — increasing numbers of people of color — but seeing their identity reflected in every aspect, including the curriculum, the photos and artwork, as well as the names of buildings. And making sure we represent the cultural, ethnic, and gender aspects of all of our students.”
Central as trailblazer
Fothergill’s research into Bassett’s life began many years ago, initially fueled by his own interest in exploring his family’s history and genealogy. He discovered that he was related to Bassett through marriage and that they both were Central alumni.
“Here’s this man with this wonderful story I can identify with,” Fothergill says. “It was almost like a spiritual relationship with him. I became the keeper of his flame.”
His research also revealed the university’s history of progressiveness in education and inclusion.
Central, then known as The New Britain Normal School, was one of few schools in the university system to admit not only people of color but also women, and it was the first to confer degrees to both.
“Our firsts are the system’s firsts,” Fothergill says. “Trinity admitted African Americans to institutions around the same time as Central but didn’t open its doors to women until almost 100 years later. But like Yale and Wesleyan or any of our private institutions, people of color couldn’t receive a degree until after Bassett.”
Fothergill discovered that Bassett was treated with respect and encouragement at Central, unlike other schools that didn’t allow black students inside classrooms.
“At Trinity, one of their black students wasn’t allowed to sit in the classroom with his white counterparts,” Fothergill says. “He had to sit outside, sometimes in the cold, and listen through the window.
“But that wasn’t a shocking thing at that time in American history,” he adds.
Fothergill points to the unique culture of New Britain that cultivated the kind of progressiveness reflected at the university.
“New Britain was part of the whole Farmington Valley, and Farmington was very progressive at the time — in the abolitionist movement, on the Underground Railroad,” he says. “There were leaders, movers, and shakers in the city, and so it was great news for Bassett coming here. There wasn’t hostility like in some other towns in Connecticut. He was embraced fully.”
Inside scoop
Interior changes to Bassett Hall are still underway, but already organizers have erected a display depicting a timeline illustrated with photos and quotes that illuminate Bassett’s remarkable life.
“There is also a donor wall naming people who have contributed to our Bassett Scholarship Fund,” Fothergill says, “which is a big part of what this is about — supporting our students’ success here, as did those who supported Bassett.”
Plans also include an interactive, multi-media component, as well as a display area for exhibits using archival information that’s been accumulated in connection to the project.
“Students can now connect to a building named after a person of color, and it shows possibilities, says Evelyn Newman-Phillips, professor of anthropology, co-director of Central’s Center for Africana Studies, and a member of the Bassett Memorial committee. “The environment plays a significant role in trans-aspiration. For example, if students are only seeing representation of people who are mostly white men, what does it say to them?”
Newman-Phillips believes it’s important for all students to recognize that people of different backgrounds can make a contribution to the university that has a history of being inclusive.
“Here’s a man whose parents were born in captivity and managed to get a college degree and go on to become Ambassador to Haiti,” she says. “Today when students don’t have parents in captivity, look what it shows them they can achieve without those obstacles.”