{"id":9928,"date":"2021-02-09T05:58:00","date_gmt":"2021-02-09T10:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/actec.matrixdev.net\/press-releases\/\/"},"modified":"2024-01-03T00:46:59","modified_gmt":"2024-01-03T05:46:59","slug":"actec-releases-docu-style-video-in-honor-of-black-history-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/actec.matrixdev.net\/press-releases\/actec-releases-docu-style-video-in-honor-of-black-history-month\/","title":{"rendered":"ACTEC Releases Docu-Style Video in Honor of Black History Month"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Contact: Pamela Goldsmith<\/a>, 202.702.2655<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Washington, DC \u2013 February 9, 2021:<\/strong> In honor of Black History Month, The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) released Wills, Slavery and Probate – The Legacy of Lucy Sutton<\/a>, a docu-style video spotlighting the story of ACTEC Fellow Terrence M. Franklin<\/a>\u2019s discovery of a will executed 170 years ago, with distinct bearing on his ancestors\u2019 survival and his existence. The video is the third in ACTEC\u2019s monthly informational series \u2013 Planning for a Diverse and Equitable Future<\/a>, a project of its Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity Committee, funded by The ACTEC Foundation. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Franklin retraces the path to his discovery of a will belonging to his fourth great-grandfather, John Sutton, and the unforeseen will contest that threatened to keep his family enslaved. After recovering the will from a Florida courthouse\u2019s probate department, he examines the provocative story behind the legal confrontation that led to his ancestors\u2019 emancipation. During his search to find answers about his family\u2019s heritage, Franklin recognized the impact of estate planning on future generations from a personal perspective in the context of protecting and preserving one\u2019s family legacy, identifying the will as a means for his ancestors to push back against racism. Creating the necessary documents with the estate planner as witness, John ensured freedom for Franklin\u2019s fourth great-grandmother Lucy by counteracting racist policies that would prohibit the emancipation of slaves in the states of Georgia and Florida.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJust as my ancestors used a last will and testament to counteract racist policies that prohibited the emancipation of slaves \u2013 pushing back by using this planning tool to take the anti-racist and anti-slavery step of setting my fourth great-grandmother Lucy, her children and grandchildren free, we too can be anti-racist by making intentional choices rather than leaving them up to someone else,\u201d said Franklin. \u201cIt is vital to communicate such intentions to protect and preserve your legacy through appropriate estate planning documents.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Franklin has spoken more than two dozen times to legal associations and history\/genealogy groups across the country, sharing his story and examining related trusts and estates issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For further information about the Diversity, Equity & Inclusivity series, please visit https:\/\/actec.matrixdev.net\/planning-for-a-diverse-and-equitable-future\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n