Raising kids in a historically rich setting like Rhode Island offers unique opportunities. In honor of Black History Month, I want to encourage us to take advantage of all that local history and share it with our kids. Most of them will learn about Harriet Tubman, the Emancipation Proclamation, and George Washington Carver this month, but I think it really speaks to the spirit of understanding our history if we share lesser-known historical facts with our kids: people, places, and events that they won’t find in the average textbook. And since Rhode Island loves local, our own history is the perfect place to start. When I started looking into this, I was blown away by the complex history of our little state and the many little-known ways that black men and women have contributed to that history. So here’s a very short list to get you started. Let it inspire you to visit some of these historical places, learn more about these fascinating people, and see what other discovers you and your kids can come up with!
Newport, RI – There’s no pretty way to say this: Rhode Island was a major player in the transatlantic slave trade. Newport was one of the most active and profitable ports of the triangle trade in America. In June 2017, the City Council of Newport declared Liberty Square as “the site of a new historical monument to honor and memorialize Africans who lost their lives on trans-Atlantic slave ships as well as the survivors and their descendants.” The monument will be part of a nationwide initiative by the Middle Passage Ceremonies and Port Markers Project. Talking to your kids about this can help them see that slavery wasn’t something that just happened far away a long time ago and is a great opportunity to discuss how racism still exists today.
‘God’s Little Acre’ – A segregated section of the colonial Common Burial Ground in Newport, ‘God’s Little Acre’ is the final resting place of both free and enslaved Africans and African Americans. Dating back as far as the 1600s, it is thought to be the oldest and largest burial ground of its kind.
Charity “Duchess” Quamino – “Dutchess” was an enslaved African woman who was able to buy her freedom by operating a successful catering business out of her master’s Newport home. She was known as the “Pastry Queen of Rhode Island” and was laid to rest in ‘God’s Little Acre‘ in 1804.
Emmanuel Manna Bernoon – Emmanuel Manna Bernoon was a freed slave who went on to open an oyster and ale house in 1736. It was Providence’s first ever restaurant. While most freed slaves used the last name of their former owner, Manna distinguished himself by adding an extra ‘o’ to his last name, thereby making it his own.
The 14th RI– The 14th Rhode Island Heavy Artillery was Rhode Island’s black volunteer regiment during the Civil War that comprised of at least 1,800 soldiers. They trained at Dexter Training Ground in Providence. Many of these veterans are buried in the North Burial Ground, which was the first public cemetery in Rhode Island.
Old Brick School House– In 1828, ‘The Old Brick School House’ became the location of the first public school for children of color in the state of Rhode Island. Located at 24 Meeting Street on modern-day College Hill, it is now home to the Providence Preservation Society.
The Celebrity Club – The Celebrity Club was a world-class jazz club located in Randall Square in the 1950s. As New England’s first interracial club of its kind, it was simultaneously the subject of strong opposition and phenomenal success. Billie Holiday, Ray Charles, Etta James, Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole, and countless others performed at the Randall Square Venue before its closing in 1960.
Viola Davis – This famous modern-day actress was born in Central Falls in 1965. Davis is the first black woman to be nominated for three Academy Awards, and in 2017 she became the first black actor to have received an Emmy, a Tony and an Oscar during her career, known as the ‘Triple Crown of Acting.’
I hope this list might help you to reflect on, celebrate, and share Lil’ Rhody’s black history with those you love.
African heritage and history in Newport runs much deeper than slavery. We call it “Creative Survival.”
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