CAI
Chuck Ross discovered that his ninth great grandfather, John Freeman, enslaved a man of African descent named Hamsheir. Freeman was one of the founders of First Parish Brewster, and his grave is in the churchyard. The church has identified other enslaved people in its history as part of a reparations project, one of a number of efforts around the region looking at historical racism and taking action for change.
As American institutions take steps to deal with this country’s racist past and present, some Cape Codders are looking at their own community history — and working not only to change, but also to atone.