New London — Richard Lenzi, author of “Facing Toward the Dawn: the Italian Anarchists of New London,” will bring the little-known history of the Fort Trumbull anarchists to life in a talk hosted by New London Landmarks on Thursday evening.

"New London's Fort Trumbull neighborhood gave rise to a unique, resilient and deep-rooted anarchist movement," Lenzi said in a statement. "It cuts against stereotypical representations of Italian Americans as having been uniformly conservative or reactionary."

The talk starts at 7 p.m. in the B.P. Learned Mission auditorium at 40 Shaw St. Following Lenzi’s presentation, New London Landmarks board member Fred Paxton will moderate a discussion between Lenzi and audience members.

“Even with all the attention paid to the Fort Trumbull neighborhood during the eminent domain battle, this history is nearly forgotten,” said Laura Natusch, executive director of New London Landmarks. “It’s hard today to imagine a time when fascists and anarchists clashed in New London’s streets, or when people crowded into a New London theater for a six-hour-long debate on the best way to overthrow capitalism.”

This program is funded by a grant from Connecticut Humanities and sponsored by Fiddleheads Natural Foods Cooperative. Connecticut Humanities, a nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, supports cultural and historic organizations that tell the state’s stories, build community and enrich lives.

No preregistration is necessary for this free program, but descendants of the Fort Trumbull anarchists can email director@newlondonlandmarks.org or call (860) 442-0003 for reserved seating.