Debra Bruno will talk about her personal journey of uncovering her Dutch American family’s history of slaveholding in the Hudson Valley, and how that history has been hidden and diminished. She will explore how that reckoning led her to a friendship with a woman who is descended from the very people her family enslaved, and what that means for us in today’s America.

How does a deep dive into family ancestry change the way we think of history? Ancestry research has become an enormous business in the U.S., and many Americans have spent both time and financial resources to learn more about their own family's story. Often, that digging turns up some very uncomfortable truths: genetic relatives no one knew about, ancestors who do some horrendous things, like belong to the Klan (see Edward Ball's Life of a Klansman) or the Mafia (see Russell Shorto's Smalltime), or ancestors who, like Bruno's, were enslavers. What should one do with that information? Debra Bruno’s understanding of ancestry research could lead to a discussion of how to do it, and why it matters.

What a peripatetic life in journalism taught Bruno about courage, friendships, and the value of storytelling that grows out of immersive travel and unblinking research. Starting a freelance career with the magpie approach of seeking shiny things, the writer moved on to write about topics that ranged from drum circles, to hiking the Great Wall of China, to Sri Lanka’s endangered elephants, to a cozy chat with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Through it all, she kept an attitude of curiosity and learned lessons about hard facts, rare finds, and how to talk your way into a Chanel show in Beijing with no Mandarin, no way to identify herself as a correspondent for Women’s Wear Daily, and a very basic understanding of the world of fashion.

What is the role of the descendants of enslavers? (This could be a great topic for a larger panel discussion.) Does having ancestors create an additional sense of responsibility in doing something? Should anyone feel guilty? For those descendants who may not be able to write a book or serve on a truth and reconciliation panel, are there other ways they can think about understanding whether they have a responsibility? Bruno will offer concrete suggestions for learning about the past, questions to ask, and what might be some of the obstacles in the way. (Hint: absolving guilt is not the point.)

What can we learn from the push towards reparations facing the backlash against the 2020 racial reckoning movement? What are forms of reparations? Most Americans in this political climate shy away from hard discussions about financial compensation for the descendants of the enslaved, but New York State has recently initiated a Reparations Commission that will look at what remedies could be offered to descendants. Other ideas have included college scholarships, lessons in schools and further education, museums, and even, in Connecticut, a "stumbling stone" version of the German Stolperstein, which marks the homes of the victims of the Holocaust. She will make concrete, grounded, achievable suggestions.

This is a joint talk with Eleanor C. Mire

Debra and Eleanor will talk about their discoveries about their families’ history in the Hudson Valley and what they learned of the lives of enslavers and enslaved people. They will describe how their unexpected friendship grew over time, leading to a lesson that confronting the past can sometimes pave the way for meaningful connections and mutual healing across generations.