On Nov 1, 2024, the local branch of the NAACP announced at their Annual Awards Dinner that R.I. Slave History Medallions would be erecting a monument at the corner of Touro Park and Bellevue Avenue to honor George T. Downing, one of the most recognized business and civil rights leaders of the 19th century. Downing, an African-American who moved to Newport from New York as a young man, met with success with a catering and hotel business, which led him to manage businesses in Providence, Newport, Boston and Washington, D.C. He also worked tirelessly for labor rights and public school integration.
RISHM’s campaign to build the first-ever, life-size statue of a person of color to be erected in Newport will be sculpted by New York-based public arts sculptor Vinnie Bagwell. For more information on this important initiative to “mark the landscape, then and now,” led by Charles Roberts, and to donate to this important cause, visit rishm.
Charles Roberts RISHM attends the NAACP Annual Awards Dinner where dignitaries and business leaders from all over Rhode Island first learn of the plans to erect a life-size public art statue to honor George T. Downing.
National Humanities Conference Tour
November 13, 2024
In mid-November, the RISHM team was pleased to host nearly 40 individuals from all over the country who were visiting Providence for the National Humanities Conference (NHC) as part of a day field trip to Newport, to learn more about Black History in this coastal state. The theme of the conference was “Making Waves, Navigating Currents of Change.” Rhode Island was at the economic center of the slave trade and RISHM’s mission is to mark the landscape with this history and pay tribute to the lives of these courageous individuals.
Charles Roberts, RISHM Board Member Margaret Baker, and Tour Guide Stephen Marino guided our guests through several significant spots on RISHM’s Newport Black History Walking Tour on Historic Hill.
Charles Roberts celebrates with the Artillery Company of Newport at their annual end of the year event in November 2024
Charles Roberts participated in the annual Saint Barbara’s Day celebration at the Newport Artillery Company Armory. Saint Barbara is the patron saint of artillerymen.
Two new RISHM medallions were
recently installed on Division Street
Erica and Kailey, students from the AP Social Studies from Rogers High School led by their teacher Angela Johnson, took the Newport Black History Walking Tour this season.
The inaugural Newport Black History Walking Tour season is a wrap!
RISHM hosted a total of ~250 participants who attended our weekend tours that ran from June 22nd – November 4th, 2024. Our tour guests hailed from Bristol, RI to Bella Vista, Arkansas; from Misquamicut to Manhattan, NY; from Arizona to New Hampshire; from Georgia to Washington, D.C., and from Florida, California, Oregon, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
We conducted six private tours over the season, and we collaborated with AARP and Rogers High School, to name a few dedicated tours. We will continue to forge new collaborations in the new year. Our tour groups have included family reunions, work groups, and friend meetups.
“This tour was fantastic! I highly recommend this tour for all to understand Newport’s complete history.” – NBHWT participant
Let’s Make History Together Annual Campaign
As part of national Giving Tuesday on December 3rd, RISHM launched an annual fundraising campaign that will span from early December 2024 thru 401 Gives Day (Rhode Island’s “giving day” for non-profit organizations), which will be commemorated on Tuesday, April 1, 2025.
Together, all things are possible! Your gift this holiday season, in any amount, is urgently needed. So much still needs to be done to explore our state’s rich and diverse heritage, and to honor Rhode Island’s historically marginalized people.
Thank you so much for your tax-deductible contribution. To donate, please visit the DONATE page on our website, www.rishm.org, or send your check to:
RI Slave History Medallions
PO Box 2505, Newport, RI 02840
RISHM offers its deepest appreciation to these generous supporters:
RI State Legislators, RI Commerce, Black Philanthropy Bannister Fund, Bank Newport, Prince Charitable Trusts, Gruben Charitable Foundation, RIF’s Newport County Fund and Community Gift Fund for generous grant support in 2024.
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.
