Terry Franklin—an attorney, writer, and storyteller—shares how finding the will of his fourth great-grandfather, John Sutton, revealed the emancipation story of his fourth great-grandmother, Lucy Sutton, and their children, which included a legal battle over John’s intentions in freeing his family. Franklin describes the deeply personal journey of discovering his family’s history and how he is using creative pursuits to amplify his ancestors’ story, demonstrating that we all have a role to play in shaping the arc of history.

This episode also includes a preview of Franklin's most recent endeavor: The Lucy Sutton Suite: A Truth-Telling in Four Parts.

Show Notes:

For more on Lucy Sutton:

Bending the Arc of History TedX Talk Webite: LucySutton.com Podcast: The Last Will of Lucy Sutton

For more on Terry Franklin:

Trust Litigation Storytelling with NUEA West: The Letter Scare and Resistance & the Will American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) podcast: Planning for a Diverse and Equitable Future. The Latest on Terry Franklin

References:

The Lucy Sutton Suite: A Truth-Telling in Four Parts.

By Terrence M. Franklin, Jeffrey George Moline, Ringo Maestro. Commissioned by Oakland Symphony Chorus. Dedicated to the Memory of Maestro Michael Morgan