News and Events
April 1, 2024: RBH has been awarded a grant from the Friends of the Rogers Free Library to offer four presentations at local organizations in Bristol that will focus on the history of the free black community called “New Goree”. “Take a Walk of a Historical Neighborhood - No Sneakers Required” - will provide a ‘virtual walk’ via a slide show for folks who have mobility issues. In addition, the grant will provide free walking tour tickets throughout the year under the Museum Pass program of the library. Stay tuned for upcoming dates and details.
February 17, 2024: We are hiring! APRIL 15, 2024: UPDATE: WE HAVE OUR TEAM IN PLACE!!!! Thanks to everyone who applied!
Research BIPOC History (RBH) in collaboration with the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University (SMFA) is looking for an Outreach and Communications Coordinator. The position will require about 6 to 7 hours a week over the period February 2024 to December 2024. The Outreach and Communications Coordinator will be involved in convening the RBH project’s Descendant Advisory Council and working with them to formulate and enact the best methods for descendant outreach. The coordinator will then employ these methods to co-design community workshops and outreach programs. As outreach is part of the Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology of this project, the coordination of outreach will be particularly important in understanding how Descendants and stakeholders are engaging with the research material; the Outreach and Communications Coordinator will be on the front lines of this process. A full job description including contact information can be found here.
February 16, 2024: Coverage by reporter Alex Torres-Perez of local television station WPRI-12 about our grant award with particular focus on the New Goree research component of the project. To view the video, follow this link.
February 15, 2024: Coverage by reporter Christy Nadalin of The Bristol Phoenix announcing our grant news to the local community. Link to that article is here.
February 6, 2024: Coverage in the Providence Journal about our grant award and what it means to our project. To read the full online article, follow this link.
January 29, 2024: Announcement of the award of a $35,000 grant from the Tufts University Research and Scholarship Program, “Tufts Springboard.” Sponsored by the Office of the Provost and Vice Provost for Research, the program is designed to contribute to the vibrant research and scholarship environment at Tufts, which includes an emphasis on Tufts’ racial justice efforts .A primary focus of the funded project is to engage directly with descendant communities to help shape the goals, process, and eventual distribution of research findings.
November 2, 2023: Rogers Free Library, Bristol, RI: Presentation and Round Table Discussion
October 21, 2023: New England Historical Association: presentation at the Annual Fall Conference, Southern Connecticut State University
September 28, 2023: George Hail Library, Town of Warren: Courtney Garrity demonstrates the features of the database which covers the period from 1680 to 1820.
June 19, 2023: The Timeline of Enslavement earns the Award of Excellence from the American Association for State and Local History. The Award of Excellence is presented to recognize excellence for projects (including civic engagement, special projects, educational programs, exhibits, publications, etc.), and individual lifetime achievement. This is the main award in the Leadership in History Awards program.
June 16, 2023: Rhode Island Foundation and the Herman H. Rose Civic, Cultural and Media Access Fund 2023 Media Project Grant. The ResearchBIPOCHistory website project has been made possible by a grant from the Herman H. Rose Civic, Cultural and Media Access Fund at the Rhode Island Foundation, a charitable community trust serving the people of Rhode Island.
Our Research Volunteers
Nancy Kellner
Eleanor Langham
Lynn Smith
Tufts/Tisch College Springbroad Grant Team:
Francie Latour, Outreach Coordinator
Eden Sekwat, Assistant Outreach Coordinator
William Zhuang, Student Assistant Researcher
Whether you are seeking to connect with your past, explore your heritage, or contribute to the ongoing understanding of our shared history, we encourage you to reach out and engage with us.
Research BIPOC History is a grassroots effort dedicated to researching, recognizing, and honoring the history, humanity, and contributions of the enslaved individuals who lived in Bristol, RI, from its founding in 1680 to the Civil War. We are a passionate group of community volunteers with a shared mission to provide detailed and accurate information - that is often challenging to find, decipher, and access from dusty cabinets and archives.
At the heart of our project is a commitment to making this information public, free, and easily shareable for all. We believe that by providing access to these valuable resources, we can empower descendants to locate their ancestors, delve into their personal histories, and ultimately share their stories. Through a searchable database, an interactive map pinpointing the locations of enslaved individuals, and images that highlight the residences of Bristol's free Black community, we offer a starting point for exploration and connection.
Our goal is not to write complete life stories. We aspire to provide a comprehensive data source for qualified individuals to interpret and share these complex and nuanced narratives. We invite you to join us on this journey as we uncover further information and shed light on the lives of these extraordinary individuals.
Our project also aims to serve as a valuable reference for historians who seek to review and analyze this historical period. We hope the information we provide will act as a catalyst for more detailed investigations and research into the lives of these remarkable individuals.
Thank you for joining us on this meaningful journey of research, recognition, and empowerment.
Descendant Advisory Council (DAC)
RBH follows key principles of participatory research and is co-constructed with a Descendent Advisory Council (DAC). The Council, composed of local stakeholders and Tufts advisors Dr. Kendra Field, Dr. Elaine Donnelly and Dr. Diane O’Donoghue will help structure the database, co-design focus group discussions and engage in forming “interactive listening sessions”, educational programming, and other research deliverables that are most meaningful to descendants of Bristol’s enslaved residents and to our collective public history.
Currently, our DAC members are:
-Victoria Johnson, Newport Middle Passage & Port Marker Committee
-Akeia de Barros Gomes, Senior Curator of Maritime Social Histories, Mystic Seaport
-Isaac Gilliard, Descendant Voices in Action
-Matt Garza, The Haus of Glitter
-Don Brown "Strong Turtle", Tribal Historian of the Pokanoket Nation
-Marcus Brown, Artist, Sculptor, Musician and Educator
-Andre Robinson, Archivist at the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society
-Kyera Singleton, Executive Director, Isaac Royall House
-Brenda Turchetta, Executive Director, Mt. Hope Farm
Mission, Vision, and Core Values
Mission Statement
Research BIPOC History is a volunteer-led grassroots effort to research primary source documents in order to recognize and honor the history, humanity, and contributions of the enslaved Indigenous and African people who lived in and around Bristol, RI from approximately 1680 to the end of the 19th century, as well as the free black people who created the neighborhood known as “New Goree.” By making this information accessible, public, free, and shareable to all, the project’s goal is to empower descendants to locate and identify ancestors, research their history, and tell their stories. We work with descendants, historians, and other stakeholders to provide reference materials for the public to review, analyze, and synthesize.
Vision Statement
Enslavement did not erase people. Our project’s vision is to bring forth facts that will allow people of color to bring their ancestor stories to life. ‘When we know better, we do better,’ said Maya Angelou. Our aspiration is to help us all understand history and each other better.
Impact Statement
We want the information rediscovered and then shared from primary source documents to be used as a starting point for more detailed investigations on the lives of these individuals of perseverance, courage, and contributions. Our work should serve not only as an information resource, but also as inspiration to commemorate and honor the value of each of the remarkable individuals represented in the documents unearthed and to educate the public through the sharing of their stories by their descendants.
Core Values
We will conduct our research with accuracy and truthfulness. We will act with perseverance, humility and decency. We will offer our work in the spirit of sharing, learning, inclusion and community engagement.