Introducing the 2021 Trinity Youth History Fellows
Today, we invite you to meet the 2021 Trinity Youth History Fellows. SUCH APPLICATIONS. GREAT FELLOWS!
Welcome the 2021 Trinity Youth History Fellows!
This summer marks the next chapter in the way Trinity Youth has been exploring the theme of “Truth In History” since Summer 2020. In the wake of the George Floyd and Breyonna Taylor protests, Trinity Youth issued a statement in which they committed themselves, and us, to the work of antiracism and advocacy in our communities. Part of this statement reads, "We recognize that Black History is American History, and that we have been taught a whitewashed version. We commit to learning and sharing the true history of race in this country."
In January, we held MLK Truth in History, a youth-led exploration of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In February, we hosted an online film screening and panel discussion on the film Brother Outsider, a documentary about the often untold story of Bayard Rustin.
And now this summer, we will continue this exploration of our history with the Trinity Youth History Fellows. The fellowship invites NYC youth to engage with the nationally significant documents of Trinity Church Wall Street along with other archives in the city to create a research project of their choosing with instruction and mentorship from the Trinity Archives team and youth staff.
We are excited to work with the History Fellows over the next six weeks and hope you will join us in celebrating their outstanding work!
Meet the 2021 Trinity Youth History Fellows:
Alexis Brown
Alexis wishes to “delve deeper into New York City’s history and the role Trinity held during the city’s development Pre-Revolutionary War.” Alexis is particularly interested in issues of gender identity and expression in colonial America, “I want to find these stories and raise them to common knowledge.”
Neyu Higuchi-Crowell
Neyu is excited by the opportunity to learn more about Trinity Church and St. Paul’s Chapel – both buildings that have been a part of her life for many years. Neyu loves “learning...about my city and what history it holds.” She’s particularly interested in periods of significant historical change - like the 1920s and the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on 9/11 - and is eager to explore the ways Trinity has striven to be a place of welcome during those times.
Luca Zubieta
Luca has long wanted an “opportunity to delve into a historical archive like the one offered in this program.” Luca, who plans to study history in college, is looking forward to rolling up his sleeves and exploring Trinity’s substantial collection of historical documents. Luca is eager to use these primary sources from New York City’s past to “draw [his] own conclusions from words written years ago.”
Taylor Elliott
Taylor is “a firm believer of the idea that one must understand the past in order to make sense of the present.” Recognizing common themes between Antebellum America, the Civil War, the Civil Rights Era, and the present day, Taylor would like to “learn about how events and people separated by distance and time interacted with and shaped each other into a much larger and more significant overarching event.”
Victoria Lee
Victoria’s favorite thing about history is “that it gives us the ability to look at a person's total life and growth...and the archives are a particularly special resource for this type of research.” She is interested in the American Revolution and clarifies that “while it may seem like everything there is to know about the Revolution has already been documented, I think that this period of time has been so glorified and almost commodified over time that the humanity of these larger-than-life figures has been lost to a certain extent. I would love to learn more about the in-between moments, or the day-to-day interactions that created the world around this country's founders.”
