A celebration of song, dance, drumming and history was presented by the Rhode Island Slave History Medallions project on Feb. 28 at Newport Craft Brewery. Renowned African djembe drummer Sidy Maiga and his band gave a special performance for Black History Month.
As part of the program, historian and author Fred Zillian, along with Charles Roberts, founder of the non- profit R.I. Slave History Medallions gave a “fireside chat-style” talk on the connection to rum industry the slave trade in colonial Rhode Island.
“I want to thank Gov. McKee and other state legislators and city leaders for attending the Slave History Medallion’s celebration of Black history,” Roberts said. “The large turnout is evidence of the strong commitment of our community to acknowledge and support the Slave Medallion’s RISHM’s mission to educate and inform the public on what actually happened here so we can all move forward in a more united way.”
The medallion project also addresses the great wealth created for merchants in Newport, Bristol, Providence and other port cities.
RISHM has installed 16 QR-coded markers across Rhode Island. Six of them are in Newport. “It makes for a fascinating history lesson while strolling our streets, whether you are a resident or a tourist,” Roberts has said. RISHM hosts guided Newport Black History Walking Tours seasonally, which gives people a chance to see these markers up close and learn about the lives of the people they represent.
—Lynne Tungett
Rhode Island Slave History Medallions invites the community to a special Juneteenth Semiquincentennial Living History Celebration at Fort Adams State Park in Newport.
Held on the parade grounds inside the fort, this family-friendly event will commemorate Juneteenth while also honoring the anniversary of the Revolutionary War and the history of the Battle of Rhode Island.
We invite all visitors to learn more about RISHM’s events and accomplishments in 2025 and support our Annual Campaign, from Giving Tuesday (Dec. 2, 2025) through 401 Gives Day (April 1, 2026).
RISHM relies on the generous support of private donations to continue the underrepresented but important work of marking the landscape of where slave history happened in Rhode Island.
