What are we doing?
The mission of the Rhode Island Slave History Medallions organization is to increase public awareness of the state’s slave history by engaging in research, education, and informational activities and by marking pertinent locations with medallions linked to a dynamic, informative website.
Why are we doing it?
Our Chairman, Charles Roberts, grew up in a household that instilled in him that to know who you are, you have to know where you have been to know where you are going.He has been an artist and social activist his whole life, attending City College, where he studied Black History. He then traveled to Africa to see firsthand the land of his forefathers with adventures that showed him the art, music and cultures that have existed for centuries.
Living in Newport, RI, his family was involved in helping to create Patriots Park, a National Monument, tended by the Parks Services, that honors Patriots who fought there in the Revolutionary War. Charles surrounded himself with history enthusiasts and local historians and developed an idea to commemorate the enslaved peoples of Colonial Rhode Island.
They formed a committee to formulate this idea in 2017 and have since arrived at the name of the project: The Rhode Island Slave History Medallions project.
Over the next five years, we plan to place at least one medallion in each of the 25 Rhode Island cities and towns historically associated with enslavement.
Board Members of the Rhode Island Slave History Medallions project at the first medallion installation and ribbon cutting ceremony on November 16th at Patriots Park
Charles Roberts and Congressman David Cicilline
The steps we took to get here:
Next, the creation of the medallion commenced. The medallion was developed to showcase the artistic achievement of an enslaved stone cutter, Pompe Stevens, who took ownership of his work by signing his name to the stone that he carved for his brother, Cuffee Stevens. This represents one of the earliest African American art pieces in America, a treasure. Our project decided to honor his contribution to art by using the image as first cut in the stone, not as it appears today in its weathered condition. The winged angel motif was popular at that time, an improvement from the winged skulls previously used on head stones of that era.
Author and scultor of RISHM medallion - Alison Newsome and Charles Roberts
Two internationally renowned, local artists worked with Charles to reproduce the carved winged angel and the proper lettering of the period for the medallion.Care was taken to preserve the intent of the wings, their shape and indentation so as to remain vivid on the cast bronze medallion.
Nick Benson is the stone carver who has worked on many monuments in DC and whose family has owned the John Stevens Shop for generations, just like the multi-generations of the Stevens family before him.He selected the font for the text on the medallion.
Alison Newsome is a sculptor known for her ceramic lions adorning the Audrain Building in Newport, RI, among many others.
Yes, the medallion itself is the message: made by a slave, in the shape of a headstone, but can it also tell the story?
Medallion at Patriots Park in Portsmouth, RI
The members of the committee decided on the use of QR code technology placed on the medallion to give visitors to the historic site information that pops into their phone, a very exciting, place-based introduction to history that has been recently uncovered by our research team.
There is also a link to our website for those wishing more information on the topic with primary sources given. This also details other historical sites where medallions are placed and the historic stories of each site. Our YouTube Channel is helping to provide the narrative about the importance of this project’s efforts and will also bring you to the sites as we unveil the medallions with music, song, prayers and the stories that they tell. This project is building awareness of the state of Rhode Island and the many historic places and events there that have shaped America and its culture.
RISHM Chairman Charles Roberts and Robert Geake, author of: "From Slave to Soldiers: The 1st Rhode Island Regiment in the American Revolution".
About our team:
We are a team of passionnate history enthusiasts that want to make a difference and create legacy for future generations. Led by our chairman Charles Roberts, 10 other board members bring their experiences and professionalism in order to keep the project running: Margaret Baker, Anna Hendrix-Semenova, Dick Poholek, Nan Heroux, Clint Gardiner, Nord Lange, Elaine Williams, Peter Fay, as well as our special contributors, worldly renowed and recognized researchers and writers:
Fred Zillian, holds a Ph.D. in international relations/strategic studies from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University. He is the author of the book: From Confrontation to Cooperation: The Takeover of the National People's (East Germany) Army by the Bundeswehr.
Joanne Pope Melish, is an Associate Professor of History Emerita at the University of Kentucky, where she also directed the American Studies and co-directed the Africana Studies Initiative for several years. Dr. Melish received her Ph.D. in American Civilization from Brown University. She is the author of "Disowning Slavery: Gradual Emancipation and Race in New England, 1780-1860".
Help us create a tapestry of angels around Rhode Island.
Donate to our crowdfunding campaign by selecting a reward from the list on the right. We are very grateful for your support.
Our work is to bring people together. We are One Humanity. We stand beside each other.
