Rhode Island: 20th Century African Heritage Civil Rights in Rhode Island

Image of residents working on a home in Fox Point, a neighborhood in Providence, Rhode Island.

"Providence Redevelopment Agency's annual Report (1963)," Rhode Island Historical Society

African American Civil Rights Network (AACRN)

An AACRN member, the 20th Century African Heritage Civil Rights in Rhode Island is a web page that lives on the Rhode Island Historical Society's website. It is one product of a multi-year project funded by the National Park Service with partnership between the RIHS, Rhode Island Black Heritage Society, and the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission. The web page has four unit plans, one for elementary, one for middle grades, and two for high school. The web page also includes a context statement from The Public Archaeology Laboratory, Inc. and electronic copies of two exhibits; Rhode Island African Heritage Civil Rights History: A Summary of over 300 years of History, and The Power of Place in Civil Rights: African American Struggle for Civil Rights in the 20th Century.

The lesson units include primary resources from RIHS, RIBHS, RIHPHC and other organizations in the state. Primary resources include newspaper articles, photographs, oral history audio clips, and video clips. The lessons associated with the primary resources cover Rhode Island civil rights issues such as fair housing, fair employment, equal opportunity in schooling, race, and identity. The high school lessons include topics such as high school student protests, forms of activism, and community leaders. Examples from these topics span the 20th century and connect with current events

The first exhibit is a timeline of African Heritage history in Rhode Island from enslavement through the 20th century. The second exhibit features people, places, organizations, and events related to the civil rights movement in Rhode Island during the 20th century. Many of the people contributed to oral history documentation that was a part of this project. All of the places that are featured in the second exhibit are part of survey documentation that occurred during the course of this project.

The unit plans and electronic versions of the exhibit panels are available for free through the webpage and document much of Rhode Island's 20th century civil rights history for public access.

The 20th Century African Heritage Civil Rights in Rhode Island web page is part of the African American Civil Rights Network.

The African American Civil Rights Network recognizes the civil rights movement in the United States and the sacrifices made by those who fought against discrimination and segregation. Created by the African American Civil Rights Act of 2017, and coordinated by the National Park Service, the Network tells the stories of the people, places, and events of the U.S. civil rights movement through a collection of public and private elements.