Lucy Stone Film

This short film, Meet Lucy Stone, dramatically recreates one of the most powerful voices for the abolition of slavery and the promotion of equal rights for women in nineteenth century America. Among her many accomplishments Lucy Stone (1818-1893) was the first woman in Massachusetts to earn a college degree and the first American woman on record to keep her own name after marrying. Born on a rural farm in West Brookfield Massachusetts, she was inspired to fight for the abolition of slavery from reading The Liberator and the works of the Grimke Sisters. Denied any financial support for her education by her strict father, she earned money by teaching and housekeeping. After attending the Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in Holyoke, Massachusetts, she eventually attended and graduated from Oberlin College in Ohio in 1847. She wed Henry Brown Blackwell (1829- 1909) himself an outspoken reformer and together they had a daughter Alice Stone Blackwell (1857-1950). Alice's would grow up to be her mother's biographer when, Lucy Stone: Pioneer of Woman's Rights, was published in 1930 and again in 1971.

As is indicated in the film women speaking out in public was extremely controversial in the nineteenth century, particularly to audiences composed of both women and men.

This film features professional storyteller Judith Black and is based upon a longer live program of the same name which is currently touring to schools and other organizations. Judith Black brings to her storytelling a varied background in education, theater, and creative writing. Having studied early childhood education at Wheelock College, Ms Black taught for three years before moving to London where she studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Later she toured as an actress for two years with Little Flags Theater Company.

Judith was a founder and ten year board member of The Three Apples Storytelling Festival. She helped to initiate and produce "Storytellers in Concert", the first longest running storytelling series for adults in the nation. Her award winning original stories have been commissioned by the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Old South Church, the Artist's foundation, the U.S.S. Constitution Museum, the U.S. Department of Forestry, the North Shore Symphony and others.

For further information and to book Lucy Stone for your classroom please contact:

Judith Black
33 Prospect Street
Marblehead, MA 01945
Phone: 781-631-4417

www.storiesalive.com

The film is segmented into one 14 minute version as well as shorter segments or chapters of this longer film. This performance was filmed at the studios of Worcester Technical High School on March 9, 2007.