Wills, Slavery and Probate: The Legacy of Lucy Sutton – Terry Franklin Featured in ACTEC’s Black History Month Video

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 docu-style video spotlighting the story of Partner and ACTEC Fellow Terry Franklin’s discovery of a will executed 170 years ago, with distinct bearing on his ancestors’ survival and his existence. The video is the third in ACTEC’s monthly informational series – Planning for a Diverse and Equitable Future, a project of its Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity Committee, funded by The ACTEC Foundation.

In a press release issued by ACTEC, Franklin said: “Just as my ancestors used a last will and testament to counteract racist policies that prohibited the emancipation of slaves – 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. It is vital to communicate such intentions to protect and preserve your legacy through appropriate estate planning documents.”

View the full press release here.

Franklin is a longtime ACTEC Fellow and currently services as Chair of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusivity Committee. For additional information about the organization and video series visit: https://www.actec.org/diversity