New London — When he was in first grade, Shannon Lanier told his classmates he was a descendant of Thomas Jefferson. His teacher directed him to sit down and stop telling lies.

Lanier recalls that at that time in his life the story of his lineage was part of his family’s strong oral tradition, according to his book, “Jefferson’s Children: The Story of One American Family,” published in 2000 with co-author Jane Feldman.

It wasn’t until DNA testing in 1998, and a subsequent family reunion on the Oprah Winfrey Show, that the story of Thomas Jefferson fathering children with his African-American slave Sally Hemings would become a more widely accepted truth. Lanier’s book recounts stories told from members of Jefferson’s two families.

Thanks to the efforts of the New London NAACP and their community partners, Lanier will visit New London on Friday as part of Black History Month.

Lanier, who is now an actor and talk show host, will meet privately with 200 local eighth-grade students, leave each student with a signed book and later speak at a free public reception at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

New London NAACP Vice President Tamara Lanier, who has no known relation to Shannon Lanier, said he is a captivating speaker whose family’s story she first heard on the Oprah Winfrey Show and left a lasting impression.

She said Shannon Lanier’s story touches on history, race and a host of other socially relevant issues and is fitting to be held during Black History Month and close to Presidents Day.

“He loves to tell his story and he is an educator,” Tamara Lanier said. “And Sally Heming was such an important female figure in history, especially for people of color.”

Many historians believe Jefferson fathered six of Heming’s children after his wife, Martha, died.

Tamara Lanier said the NAACP originally had thought Shannon Lanier would be a good person to speak at a fundraiser for the local chapter. But the cost of bringing “someone of that caliber” was beyond the NAACP’s capabilities, she said.

Instead, she said, a host of community partners stepped in to help plan and fund Shannon Lanier’s visit and the purchase and distribution of his book. Those groups include the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Connecticut College, L+M Healthcare, Yale New Haven Health and New London public schools.

“This is an excellent example of a broad based community collaboration that strengthens institutional relationships, orchestrates resources and benefits a wide spectrum of people,” said Tracee Reiser, Connecticut College Senior Associate Dean of Community Partnerships.

Aram deKoven, chief diversity officer for the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, said partnerships were formed during the months of planning for the event among “like-minded individuals interested in a conversation about equity and inclusion.”

“It’s truly a collaborative partnership,” deKoven said. “It’s been a fun project working with these different groups.”

Starting at 6:30 p.m. Friday the Coast Guard Academy will welcome Lanier to the Leamy Hall Auditorium. The pre-show program will include some dance, song and spoken word poetry from the Genesis Council, a multicultural organization at the academy.

g.smith@theday.com