Our Shared History and Legacy

Join us for a special evening as we celebrate the launch of Joyce Sharrock-Cole’s new book, Captured Legacy, a powerful companion to the Black History and Culture Exhibit at Bethany Arts Community. This beautifully crafted, full-color, 192-page book is the first time many of these stories have been put into print, preserving them for future generations to learn from and be inspired by.

This event is not just for Black families, it’s for our entire community. The book captures the shared history of Westchester County and reflects a broader American story, highlighting how our lives and legacies are all connected.

Inside, you’ll find powerful narratives and photographs of many community members and their families, whose stories have helped shape the fabric of our towns, villages, and counties.

Event Highlights:

• Book Signing & Author Talk: Joyce will share the journey of researching, curating, and documenting these lives and legacies. This book stands as a permanent record of the people who shaped our community, many never before recognized in published history.

• Genealogy Night Featuring the Brady Family: We’ll be joined by the descendants of Lewis Brady, a formerly enslaved man whose incredible story is featured in the book. Through genealogical research, they reconnected with their past and now share it with us. Guests may discover familiar names or stories within its pages or be inspired to begin tracing their own family roots, with the potential for future inclusion in projects like this.

• Community Conversation: A space for reflection, dialogue, and celebration. This is an opportunity for everyone to share and connect through our collective past.

Books will be available for purchase and signing. Come be a part of this powerful moment as we honor, document, and celebrate the stories that define us, and ensure they are never forgotten.

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About Joyce Sharrock-Cole

Award winning Historian and Genealogist Joyce Sharrock Cole is dedicated to helping others know themselves by knowing their family histories. A native of Ossining, where she serves as the Village Historian, Joyce’s groundbreaking work, particularly in the African American community, extends beyond the boundaries of Westchester County.

With a BS from Mercy College and certification as a Genealogical Researcher from Boston University, Joyce brings expertise and passion to her craft. Her engaging, storytelling style makes her a popular speaker. Houses of worship, libraries, municipalities, and schools reach out for her help in uncovering black history and culture, subjects too long overlooked by the gatekeepers of history. She came to this calling when researching her own family history. It extends back to Bertie County, North Carolina, where her ancestors were enslaved on the Sharrock plantation.

In 2021, New York State Senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick named Joyce one of six people to receive a History & Heritage Award from for her work in creating theOssining COVID project and curating the revelatory Ossining Black History & Culture Exhibit at Bethany Arts Community, where she sits on the board. That same year, the Westchester County Historical Society appointed Joyce to serve as a Trustee on their board as well. The Ossining Public Library named her 2021 Volunteer of the year for her work there, which includes lead researcher for the Little Bertie County Genealogical Society.

Her program at Ossining High School promotes self-discovery through genealogical research. “The students learn more about themselves and see their families’ contributions to the world we live in. Knowing who you are and making connections is not only inspiring but empowering.”

Joyce juggles all this with a day job: Confidential Executive Secretary to the Commissioner of Emergency Services of Westchester County, Webmaster and Records Access Officer. Because she’s not busy enough, she just launched a genealogical research business, JSC Research LLC, where anyone can hire her to dig into their family for them.