RI Humanities

  • ABOUT
    • HISTORY & MISSION
    • STAFF & BOARD
  • GRANTS
    • GRANTMAKING
    • RI CHARG (with RISCA)
    • FEATURED GRANTS
    • RECENT GRANTS
  • INITIATIVES
    • RI CIVIC HEALTH INDEX
    • CULTURE IS KEY
      • Culture is Key: Advisory Committee
      • Culture is Key: Pilot Projects
    • RHODE TOUR
    • EXPANSION ARTS
    • INITIATIVE ARCHIVE
      • CATALYZING NEWPORT
      • PELL HUMANITIES INITIATIVE
      • (PRESS)ED Podcast Series
      • PULITZER SERIES
      • RI Arts and Culture Research Fellowship
      • XIX: Shall Not Be Denied
  • GET INVOLVED
    • DONATE
    • PARTICIPATE
    • CELEBRATE
      • 2022 Celebration Honoree & Speaker Information
    • ADVOCATE
  • CALENDAR
  • NEWS
    • Humanities In Context

RI HISTORICAL SOCIETY SEEKS BLACK HISTORY ARTIFACTS

April 16, 2015 By RI Humanities

RI HISTORICAL SOCIETY SEEKS BLACK HISTORY ARTIFACTS
PROVIDENCE JOURNAL, April 15, 2015 • Paul Davis

 

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The Rhode Island Historical Society has launched an ambitious project to tell the story of Rhode Island’s blacks in the 20th century. The story will be told largely through photographs, documents and oral histories collected this year. Participants are encouraged to bring items to the society’s ongoing lectures. The next event — “Rethinking the Civil Rights and Black Power Movement” — is Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the Aldrich House at 110 Benevolent St. in Providence. The talk is free.

The idea was sparked by a conversation between historical officials and Ali and Len Cabral at the Roots Cultural Center. The Cabrals wanted to explore the history of black Rhode Islanders during World War I.

“We were immediately enthusiastic about the chance to highlight these untold stories,” said Elyssa Tardif, director of the historical society’s Newell D. Goff Center for Education and Public Programs. “Out of this meeting, we realized that there was a greater need to provide a forum for people to learn about issues of race and freedom in the past and discuss what that means for our society today.”

The historical society collaborated with other groups to sponsor two earlier lectures, including one on the influence of children on the civil rights movement. Officials collected photograph at both events.

The historical society will launch a digital exhibit on its website in December, Tardif said.
“So far, we have focused on the archiving of photos and mementos, although we hope to expand the collection process and the digital exhibit itself in the future to accommodate all submissions, including oral and written histories.”

The exhibit, which will appear on the historical society’s website, will be interactive, she said. “The aim is to encourage as much public participation as possible to present a true picture.”

Money for the project comes in part from the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities.

On Thursday, Fairfield University professor Yohuru Williams will talk about the black power and the civil rights movements. Williams is the author of “Black Politics/White Power: Civil Rights Black Power and Black Panthers in New Haven.” The talk is sponsored by the Rhode Island Historical Society, in collaboration with the Roots Cultural Center, the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society, the Newport Historical Society, the John Nicholas Brown Center for Public Humanities and Cultural Heritage and the Center for the Study of Slavery & Justice at Brown University.

latest tweets

  • "The humanities serve as tools to stand up for democracy at this moment." Read the 12th issue of our… https://t.co/dlDGeYd53d June 5, 2020 6:00 pm
  • "Engaging history and culture is not just about reflection and understanding but about action." Read more at:… https://t.co/OxR7zWgfg8 June 3, 2020 8:35 pm
  • Explore the Digital Public Library of America. In addition to 37,136,118 images, texts, videos, and sounds from acr… https://t.co/H3xczefx9E May 29, 2020 3:13 pm
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Archives

GRANTMAKING FY2015 – 2019
2021 HIGHLIGHTS
40th ANNIVERSARY REPORT

QUICK LINKS

Board of Directors Login
Grant Archive Digital Library
Donate to the Council
Credits

MAILING LIST

Want to be the first to hear about all the humanities related news and updates? Get on the list!
JOIN

CONNECT

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

CONTACT

  401-273-2250

  401-454-4872
  131 Washington St., Suite 210
      Providence, RI 02903

Copyright © 2023 Rhode Island Council for the Humanities · Website design & development by //DESIGN AGENCY//