Sharing the stories of Black Americans is essential to understanding the complexity and depths of our history. This February, in honor of Black History Month, we will highlight programs and resources from ourselves and our community and national partners to highlight how Black Rhode Islanders have made an impact locally, nationally, and globally. This page will continue to be updated throughout the month of February. If you have suggestions of resources to be added to this page, please email communications@rihs.org.

Programs • Reading Lists • Community Partners • Tools for Educators

  • Sunday, February 2, 3pm: The American Band- A Celebration of Black History: Join the American Band at the URI Fine Arts Center – Concert Hall for a special event honoring Black History Month. This celebration will showcase the rich culture, history, and contributions of the Black community through the music of composers William Grant Still, JaRod Hall, Adrian B. Sims, Mark Camphouse, Adolphus Hailstork, Omar Thomas, and Duke Ellington.

  • Thursday, February 6, 5:30pm: Precious Birthright with CJ Martin: In 1842, Black Rhode Islanders secured a stunning victory, a success rarely seen in antebellum America: they won the right to vote. Author CJ Martin will highlight a movement that has been largely forgotten in the story of RI and Black American history.

  • Wednesday, February 12th, 7pm: The Civil Rights Kid with Ray Rickman: Join Stages of Freedom at the Courthouse Center for the Arts for an extraordinary one-man presentation that tells the gripping and heartfelt story of Rickman’s early activism in the Civil Rights Movement.

  • Sunday, February 16, at 11am: Creative Survival Walking Tour– Join the Newport Historical Society for a walking tour focused on the early history of Newport’s people of color, enslaved and free.

  • Thursday, February 20, at 12pm: The Randall Ashe Story: Celebrating a Rhode Island Legend– Visit PPAC to learn the story of Randall Ashe. From his birth in Providence in 1940, to being a touring musician in the 1950s, to the Afro Arts Center in the 1970s, to television production and city events until retirement in the 2010s, Randall Ashe’s life maps the local and national struggles and triumphs of African Americans and the Civil Rights Movement. This event shares his story and his music.

  • Saturday, February 22, at 2-5pm: Hustle & Heritage: A Black-Owned Marketplace: Visit Providence Community Library Rochambeau Branch for a vibrant marketplace highlighting Black business owners in our community. Discover unique crafts, handmade goods, art, and more.

  • Library of Congress Black History Month Website– The Library of Congress website honoring Black History Month includes online information from the National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
  • Civil Rights Timeline– Civil Rights Timeline from Rhode Island Black Heritage Society, Rhode Island Historical Society, & the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Cultural Commission.

  • Encompass- Civil Rights in Rhode Island– Explore the history of the Civil Rights Movement in Rhode Island with essays and primary sources, along with lesson plans and additional materials including video clips and oral histories.

  • Resources on African American History from the 1696 Commission– The 1696 Historical Commission was signed into law on July 1, 2014 and was tasked with developing a comprehensive African American history curriculum for Rhode Island public schools from kindergarten through grade 12. This page includes resources provided by organizations, scholars, and historians throughout Rhode Island to support classroom instruction in African-American history.

  • A Matter of Truth Report– The examination and documentation of the role of the City of Providence and the State of Rhode Island in supporting a “Separate and Unequal” existence for African heritage, Indigenous, and people of color.

  • Sacred Spaces: The Legacy of the Black Churches in Rhode Island: Visit the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society’s new exhibit celebrating the African Heritage communities in RI, including Black, Afro-Caribbean, Cape Verdean, and West African migrants who built religious and service institutions that shaped their cultural and spiritual identity. The exhibit is on display in the Black Heritage Society’s headquarters in Building 8 on Rhode Island College’s campus.