The JCC in Sherman welcomes Melinda Elliott for our Sunday Speaker Series event on Sunday July 7th at 1pm. Join us for a viewing of the film Home of the Brave : When Southbury Said No to Swastikas, followed by an in-depth discussion about Melinda’s research & her book No Swastikas in Southbury.
On September 25, 1937, Wolfgang Jung purchased 178 acres of land in Southbury, Connecticut for the German-American Bund, intent on building a Nazi camp. Similar camps were popping up around the nation, in an effort to promote an antisemitic and pro-Nazi agenda. The residents of Southbury quickly united to fight back against this Nazi invasion of their town. Until 2012, this important story was not well-known to many people in Southbury, let alone people who lived elsewhere.
A 40 minute documentary Home of the Brave: When Southbury Said NO to the Nazis premiered in 2012. Directed by Scott Sniffen, it presents the story along with riveting oral history from those who were alive at that time including the descendants of Reverend Lindsay.
Melinda K. Elliott was fascinated by the movie and wanted to know more of the details. After five years of research, No Swastikas in Southbury was published by Fonthill Media, telling the rest of the story in a day-by-day journal format. Southbury residents needed to act quickly if they did not want Nazi philosophies to clash with their staunch New England values. In spite of their differences in background or politics, the townspeople had to make a decision. The book reveals an overview of the German-American Bund’s threat to America in 1937 and chronicles the day-by-day struggles of a small town working through their own issues in order to stand up against the Nazis. The town proved that doing or saying something is far more powerful than keeping silent.Melinda K. Elliott grew up with a keen interest in history. She is always researching some historical topic and loves delving into the stories of long-forgotten people. Melinda enjoys sharing her latest finds through writing blog posts, articles, brochures, and books. She has had speaking engagements throughout the state and on various zoom webinars streamed around the world. Melinda is the president of the Southbury Historical Society, and director of The Bullet Hill School – A Living Museum program. Her published books include Connecticut Schoolhouses Through Time, Southbury Through Time: Remnants of Our Past, and No Swastikas in Southbury. Melinda and her husband, Ray, enjoy road trips and are always on the lookout for one-room schoolhouses, covered bridges, old mills, and historic villages. They have three children, all living nearby, and eight grandchildren to spoil.
Sunday Speaker Series events are Free for JCCS Members / $5 Donation Non-Members
All Donations are greatly appreciated & can be made at the door as well.