Jonathan Lopez, a social studies teacher at West Haven High School, is bringing local history to the forefront of national conversation through his project, It Happened Here: A Socratic Seminar on The Hidden History of Slavery in New Haven. Developed during the inaugural Yale and Slavery Teachers Institute this past summer, the project helps students connect the broader history of American slavery to the places and people of their own community.
Lopez explained, “My goal was to design lessons that help students connect the broader history of American slavery to local places and people, emphasizing that the legacy of enslavement did not happen somewhere else. It happened here, in our own community’s past.”
After first presenting the project to colleagues during the district’s professional development day in early November, Lopez received positive feedback. And this month, he had the opportunity to share his work at the National Council for the Social Studies Conference in Washington, D.C., as part of a panel organized by the Yale and Slavery Research Project with the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition.
Originally created for his AP African American Studies and Black and Latino Studies classes, Lopez is now using the project in his Sophomore U.S. History course as well. Through stories such as William Lanson’s construction of Long Wharf, the attempt to establish a Black College in 1831, and New Haven’s connection to the Amistad, Lopez aims to show that Connecticut’s history of enslavement and freedom is deeply intertwined with the national narrative.
When asked what inspired him to focus on New Haven, Lopez shared, “Being born and raised in West Haven, the first two days of the Yale and Slavery Teacher’s Institute spent exploring New Haven had a tremendous impact on me. I realized how much I did not know about the city’s history; stories of enslavement, resistance, and Black leadership that had all been right in front of me all my life. I felt like a student again and wanted to give my students that same sense of discovery.”
He described his reaction to being selected to present in Washington, stating, “I was deeply honored, but also felt duty bound. They truly could have selected any of the teachers from our inaugural cohort and it would have been a great choice. Being invited to share that experience on a national stage feels like both a privilege and an obligation.”
Representing West Haven High School and West Haven Public Schools carries deep meaning for him. “It means everything,” Lopez said. “I hope my students see someone from their hometown being recognized on a national stage and know that their stories and their voices matter just as much as anyone else’s. To bring that message to the nation’s capital while representing my family, my hometown, my students, and my colleagues is something truly remarkable.”
Looking ahead, Lopez plans to continue refining the project based on student feedback. He hopes to eventually expand it beyond the classroom through field trips or guest speakers. “This project has sparked a real passion in me for creating curriculum that connects local history to students’ lived experiences,” he said.
Above all, Lopez hopes the project inspires other educators. “I hope teachers see the value in rooting instruction in local stories. When students realize that history happened in the same streets and neighborhoods they walk through every day, the learning becomes personal. I want teachers to feel empowered to show students that understanding where we come from shapes how we move forward.”
