Rhode Island Cities in RISHM Statewide Public Awareness Program

Contributions to the History of Slavery in Rhode Island

Take a tour of Rhode Island’s historic locations through the Rhode Island Slave History Medallion project.

This is the original gravestone carved in Newport by Pompe Stevens, the enslaved artisan who crafted one of the first signed African-American pieces of artwork in North America in 1768 for his deceased brother Cuffe Gibbs.

The Rhode Island Slave History Medallion organization is a statewide public awareness program committed to marking those historic sites connected to the history of slavery in Rhode Island.

Slavery was the global economic engine prior to its abolition and Rhode Island’s role in this business of slavery was significant. By marking sites throughout the state that are connected to that past, we hope to make that history easily accessible by telling a more complete story of the cultural and economic development of the State of Rhode Island.

In each city or town, a QR coded Medallion with the history of its designated locations will appear on the website. The QR code on the Medallion will provide a link to this website with historical content about each location.

We welcome participation in the Rhode Island Slave History Medallion project. Please help us accomplish this landmark achievement in education.

One thought on “Rhode Island Cities in RISHM Statewide Public Awareness Program

  1. Jenn

    We are students who would love to know more, and to see how we can help this project. Is there any way we could start with a tour of some these places — we’ve already been to Linden Place and the John Brown House. We’d love a tour of the Newport places (we have contacted the Newport Historical Society for a tour on these specific sites)

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