In honor of Juneteenth, the International Festival of Arts & Ideas invites kids of all ages to join Constance L. Royster and New Haven Educator, Katlyn Rapini, for a moderated Q&A discussing the life of Constance Baker Motley, the first Black female federal judge and highly accomplished Civil Rights attorney. The United States Postal Service issued a Forever Stamp in honor of Constance Baker Motley in January of this year as part of its Black Heritage series. The Q&A will be followed by a stamp design workshop, led by Katlyn Rapini, where participants will learn about the process of stamp design and create their own stamps to celebrate the legacy of Judge Constance Baker Motley.
Constance Baker Motley Stamp
Katlyn Rapini
Katlyn Rapini currently works as a 3rd grade teacher for New Haven Public Schools. She graduated from Ithaca College with a B.A. in Drama then from Columbia University with a M.A. in Elementary Inclusive Education and Teaching Students with Disabilities. After graduating college, Katlyn became the Education Apprentice for school partnerships at Roundabout Theatre Company before being hired full time as the Education Assistant. Katlyn eventually moved back to Connecticut where she worked as a Hospitality Assistant for the International Festival of Arts and Ideas then as the Development Coordinator at New Haven Symphony Orchestra. Looking to return to education, Katlyn went to work as the Education Operations Associate at Lincoln Center where she remained until the start of her graduate program in 2020. Despite her career change, she remains active in local theater. Outside of school, she can be found working with The Whitney Players in Hamden and A Broken Umbrella Theatre in New Haven.