Hannah Till and Black History in the Age of Revolution
Updated: Jan 23
Durand-Hedden House & Garden and the SOMA Community Coalition on Race will host reenactor Leslie Bramlett on Sunday, February 1, at 1 pm, at The Woodland in Maplewood
MAPLEWOOD, NJ – February 2026 – As we look back 250 years to our nation’s founding, Black History Month provides an important opportunity to highlight the lives and contributions of African Americans.
Durand-Hedden, in partnership with the South Orange/Maplewood Community Coalition on Race, is delighted to welcome educator and historical reenactor Leslie Bramlett. Ms. Bramlett, in this one-woman performance, will appear as Hannah Till, an enslaved cook and servant to General George Washington during the War for Independence.
Born into slavery in Delaware, Till was leased to cook for Washington during the harsh Valley Forge encampment in 1777-78. She eventually purchased her freedom and continued to work as a paid cook, serving both Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette throughout the war. Till's incredible journey of resilience and strength is a powerful reminder of the often-overlooked historical contributions of African American women.
This event will take place at The Woodland Parlor in Maplewood at 1 pm. The program will continue at Durand-Hedden House following the performance for refreshments and conversation with Ms. Bramlett. An art exhibit by Beverly McCutcheon in the House will feature McCutcheon’s mixed-media work, assemblages, and fiber collages, exploring themes of women, domestic workers, and beauty. Complete details on both events, as well as registration, are available on the event page.
While our events are free, we ask those able to do so to support the House and our programming by purchasing a donation ticket. All donations are welcome, appreciated, and support Durand-Hedden's mission, upkeep, and community events. Both complimentary and donation tickets are available at DurandHedden.org. Parking for the Durand-Hedden House is available on nearby streets.
About Durand-Hedden House and Garden
The Durand-Hedden House and Garden Association is Maplewood’s historic house museum, dedicated to creating engaging and informative educational programs and materials about the local history of Maplewood and surrounding communities, natural history, and other related topics. The House, at 523 Ridgewood Road, Maplewood, is open once a month between September and June. For more information, visit our website at durandhedden.org. To arrange group tours, write to info@durandhedden.org. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter.
What draws my attention to building management skills through practical situations is the possibility of making an unfamiliar subject feel closer to everyday life. A realistic scenario can expose how different decisions affect a team's work. I would keep that thought nearby when looking for ideas about management skills training. I am more curious about the process than a polished result, because the steps in between are usually where questions appear. Which situations are most useful for practising management before taking responsibility for a team?
The topic of using familiar characters in preschool learning gives me a few things to think about, especially when the discussion moves beyond general advice. A familiar character can make a new classroom routine feel easier to approach. I would use that point as a starting question when considering preschool storytelling activities. I would be interested in a simple example, because it is often the ordinary details that make an idea memorable. How can a story character support learning while leaving children room to create?
Considering developing a reflective approach to learning, I keep coming back to the difference between knowing about an idea and putting it into practice. Looking back at a task can reveal which part was difficult and which strategy helped. Seen this way, reflective learning habits becomes a topic to explore rather than something to sum up too quickly. I do not have a settled view yet, but this seems like a good place to slow down and look more closely. How can reflection remain practical rather than becoming another form to complete?
A conversation about understanding media messages more carefully seems most useful to me when it leaves space for uncertainty and further questions. Separating a claim from the evidence offered for it makes a message easier to examine. I would use that point as a starting question when considering media literacy skills. I do not have a settled view yet, but this seems like a good place to slow down and look more closely. What questions should readers ask before sharing a striking headline?
There is something approachable about discussing turning curiosity into a learning adventure through situations people can actually picture. An open-ended activity can make discovery feel more inviting than a task with one fixed answer. This is why I would approach learning through exploration with a specific question rather than a fixed expectation. I would be interested in a simple example, because it is often the ordinary details that make an idea memorable. How can a learning project keep curiosity alive while still providing direction?