Newport’s Black History Walking Tours are back for a second season, kicking off on May 24. Rhode Island Slave History Medallions (RISHM) is running these 75-minute guided tours on weekends through October 26. Participants will explore Historic Hill, learning about resistance and freedom in Newport’s colonial era.
Charles Roberts, who started RISHM, explains, “We’re shining a light on the people and places in Newport that were big players in the slave trade. We’re sharing real stories about both free and enslaved Black and African Americans who made important – and sometimes overlooked – contributions to Newport and Rhode Island.”
Tours start at 10 a.m. near Bowen’s Wharf Pilot House, making 8-10 stops before wrapping up at Washington Square. Tickets are $20 for adults, with discounts for students, military, and kids.
The tour route includes eight granite markers that RISHM has put up since 2019. Each marker has a QR code you can scan for more info about Newport’s involvement in the slave trade and how Black Americans shaped the city’s history.
Roberts has teamed up with local historians and students from Roger Williams University to create the tour content.
For more details about the tours and RISHM’s ongoing work to educate Rhode Islanders about the state’s role in slavery, check out their updated website at www.rishm.org.
