Learn About George Washington's Enslaved Assistant At Avon Library Program

AVON, CT — The Avon Free Public Library will mark Juneteenth with a dramatic historical presentation exploring the life of William "Billy" Lee, the enslaved man who served as George Washington's personal assistant before, during, and after the American Revolution.

The program, "Through Billy Lee's Eyes," will be presented by storyteller Andre Keitt at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, June 15, in the library's Community Room.

According to event organizers, Lee accompanied Washington from his youth through the Revolutionary War and remained by his side into old age. He was the only enslaved person owned by Washington who was freed immediately upon Washington's death under the terms of his will.

Keitt's performance will examine Lee's experiences and relationships while offering a perspective on American history through the eyes of a man who lived at the center of the nation's founding era.

The event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Avon Library and the Avon Historical Society as part of the community's Juneteenth observance.

Registration is required. More information and registration details are available through the Avon Free Public Library.

Juneteenth, observed annually on June 19, commemorates the end of slavery in the United States and marks the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Texas learned they had been freed, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued.

For more information on the program, click on this link.