In 2023 I started thinking about how there is information online about many Barlows who each contributed significantly to history during their lifetime including Mary Barlow, who was a member of The Six Triple Eight; the largest group of Black servicewomen to serve overseas during World War II and Boce W. Barlow Jr, who became the first African-American judge in Connecticut in 1957 and who was the first African-American to be elected to the Connecticut State Senate in 1966.
I was thinking about the fact that my father, Edward Barlow Jr, also had quite a few historical firsts and how very few people would know about these after he died because:
- there is no online record of them
- my father was an only child
- many of my father’s oldest friends who knew most of his past have passed away
- my father seemed overly modest, almost secretive, about all he did and achieved
If you read his obituary and were surprised to read about many of the things he did there, trust me when I say there is a lot more that wasn’t included there simply because of length considerations.
In the video project I started with him in 2023, I met with him at his home, drove with him around Hartford, and asked him questions to prompt him to tell me stories about his life and achievements in his own unique way.
While I was only able to get a small amount of video filmed between his schedule, his mood, my schedule, my autoimmune disease making it difficult to get more done, and a host of other issues, I think I was able to capture a lot of great information from him. Though I do regret that I never got him to to tell the story of how he dated Dionne Warwick for a summer on camera … 😄
I will begin to edit and upload what I recorded here to this website and hopefully continue building this archive with help from relatives and people who knew him and want to provide additional or new information.
If you knew my dad, worked with my dad, or have any knowledge of my father’s work and achievements and would like to contribute to this website, I would be deeply grateful. ❤️