Virtual Talk- A Conversation about Slavery in the Hudson Valley: Two Linked Descendants Share Their Stories

A Conversation about Slavery in the Hudson Valley: Two Linked Descendants Share Their Story

Where: Online via Zoom

When: Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025 6 PM

Debra Bruno and Eleanor Mire each grew up knowing nothing of the history of slavery in the Hudson Valley. When they learned that New York’s 200 years of slavery began in New Netherland and extended well into the 19 th century, they were shocked. To their surprise, they also discovered through a Facebook group called “I’ve Traced My Enslaved Ancestors and Their Owners” that they both descended from families in from Greene County, on the west bank of the Hudson. They also learned that Debra’s ancestors enslaved Eleanor’s ancestors, information that sent them on a dive into even more research, and the eventual truth that their connection was probably also a genetic one.

Debra wrote about this story in a 2020 Washington Post Magazine article called “History Lessons.” And now the book, A Hudson Valley Reckoning: Discovering the Forgotten History of Slaveholding in My Dutch American Family, with an afterword by Eleanor, is out now (Cornell University Press - Three Hills).

In a free virtual talk hosted by Van Cortlandt House Museum on Thursday, Sept. 25, 6 p.m., Debra and Eleanor will tell this story, accompanied by a brief Powerpoint slide show. The talk will include topics such as the friendship that has developed between the two of them, the research they’ve conducted together, and the additional joy of finding other descendants of Mary Vanderzee.

There is no cost to attend this online event, but registration is required to receive a Zoom link.