By Rhode Island Slave History Medallions
The Rhode Island Slave History Medallions (RISHM) welcomes the public to celebrate the newly installed slave history marker at East Ferry Wharf in Jamestown. An outdoor program hosted in partnership with the Town of Jamestown and the Jamestown Historical Society will be held Saturday, May 22 from 12 noon-1pm on the wharf at Narraganset Avenue and Conanicut Street.
The institution of slavery permeated every facet of Jamestown’s daily life from its European settling in 1657. The slave history medallion ceremony is presented as a healing remembrance of the enslaved people of color whose suffering and contributions helped build Jamestown, Rhode Island, and our nation.
The program opens with music from the Bristol Fife and Drum Corp and is followed by dedication remarks by RISHM founder and executive director Charles Roberts, Jamestown State Representative Deborah Ruggiero, and Town Council President Nancy Beye. Peter Fay of the Jamestown Historical Society will tell stories of the enslaved people of color who were part of Jamestown’s history. The Rhode Island 1st Regiment will end the event with a musket salute.
The program is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact the Jamestown Historical Society or visit www.rhism.org.
