Our Story

Founding Member

Ashlynn Savannah

Ashlynn Savannah is a Connecticut native whose passion for storytelling and family history deepened during a college genealogy course in the summer of 2024. Since beginning her research journey, she has traveled to conferences to speak about her family's history and has been recognized for both her scholarship and creative inquiry.

Her honors include the 2024 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium Certificate of Recognition for Best Poster Presentation through the C.O.R.E. program, a Certificate of Appreciation from the Mario A.J. Bennekin Black History Symposium, and the Global Engagement Award at the Georgia State University Undergraduate Research Conference through the Center for Undergraduate Research and Creative Inquiry.

Beyond research, Savannah has a deep love for filmmaking and documentary storytelling. She is passionate about amplifying underrepresented voices, uncovering stories that deserve to be seen and heard, and using film as a way to bring light, representation, and connection to communities and histories often overlooked.

Founding Member

Christina Dickerson-Cousin

Associate Professor of History

A historian at Quinnipiac University specializing in U.S., African American, and Native American history. She holds a B.A. from Spelman College and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University. Her latest book is Black Indians and Freedmen: The African Methodist Episcopal Church and Indigenous Americans, 1816–1916 (University of Illinois Press, 2021).

Founding Member

Natasha Sweeney

Founding Member

Ebony Sparkes

Founder & CEO, Sparkes Event Solutions

Ebony Sparkes is the founder and CEO of Sparkes Event Solutions, a full-service event planning and strategic event management firm based in the Washington, D.C. area. A PMP-certified project manager and certified minority- and women-owned business owner, Ebony brings over a decade of experience building community-centered experiences that bring people together with intention and purpose.

Beyond her professional work, Ebony's commitment to community runs deep, rooted in part in her own ancestral journey as a descendant of enslaved Africans and Native Americans. She carries the search for that history—and the importance of preserving it—personally. It is why the mission of Daughters of Heritage and Freedom™ resonates with her.

She brings to the board a strategic mind, a builder's instincts, and a genuine belief that honoring the past is how we strengthen the future.

Founding Member and Genealogical Advisor

John Mills

Originally from San Diego, John Mills is a technologist by trade, but an equity advocate and independent scholar by passion. The descendant of both southern and northern enslaved, John focuses on unearthing little known people and stories of this country's history in slavery and the transatlantic slave trade.

John presents research through the lens and perspective of a descendant, with intent to inspire understanding and empathy — a means to inspire good, God-fearing people, now armed with information, to look into whether they may be unwittingly aligning to biases resulting from the reverberating effects of a past time.

John is a member of the Connecticut Freedom Trail and the Webb Deane Stevens Museum Council. He is also working with an international team funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) on an effort to deliver transformational impact on digital methods in cultural institutions — a means to decolonize museums.

Founding Member

Gale Hylton Matthews

With 22 years of experience in the cosmetology industry, Gale has built a career centered on professionalism, relationship-building, and service to diverse communities. As a bilingual professional fluent in both English and Spanish, she is passionate about creating inclusive spaces and fostering meaningful connections across cultural backgrounds.

Her appreciation for African American and Caribbean history and culture, combined with her strong community-centered approach, aligns closely with the mission of Daughters of Heritage and Freedom. She brings valuable experience in communication, outreach, and interpersonal engagement — qualities that support DHF's commitment to preserving heritage, strengthening community, and building future generations.

In addition to her cosmetology background, Gale has experience as an ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) Therapist, where she provided compassionate support and individualized care. Her combined professional experience reflects empathy, leadership, cultural awareness, and a longstanding dedication to empowering others.

Founding Member

Casey Scott

Founder & CEO, YouAreSeen LLC

Casey Scott is the Founder and CEO of YouAreSeen LLC, a minority woman-owned consulting and mental health organization focused on creating trauma-informed, culturally responsive systems for youth, families, and communities. With over 14 years of experience working alongside historically underserved Black and Brown youth, Casey is a dual-licensed social worker, mental health consultant, social work coach, and trauma-informed strategist dedicated to advancing equity, healing, and empowerment through education, advocacy, and community engagement.

Her work spans youth advocacy, social-emotional learning, mental health systems, leadership development, and coaching emerging social workers to navigate systems with confidence, authenticity, and purpose. Casey is also the co-creator of Footprints of the Forgotten 14, a student-led historical documentary and exhibition project honoring the legacy and narratives of overlooked Black Revolutionary War soldiers.

Rooted in authenticity, advocacy, and healing, Casey remains committed to uplifting historically overlooked narratives, empowering communities, and ensuring future generations inherit both truth and legacy.