‘Ground zero for African American excellence’: Stages of Freedom offers Black History tours of RI

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Rhode Island’s history is deeply intertwined with Black history.

Black Rhode Islanders worked toward the abolition of slavery, advocated for their rights and laid the foundation for the state’s Black legacy today.

This Black History Month, Stages of Freedom is bringing these stories to life through a tour of historical landmarks, their tenth anniversary of doing so.

“This is really ground zero for African American excellence and accomplishments, especially in Newport, where people were expected to do extraordinary things at extraordinarily high levels,” said Bobb Dimmick, co-founder of Stages of Freedom.

One display case on the tour, honors Sissiretta Jones, the first internationally renowned Black opera singer, who made a lasting impact on Rhode Island’s community.

“The teacup is important because once she retired to her house here on College Hill, she taught young girls of color how to take tea, using that experience to create social etiquette and poise,” said Dimmick.

One of the stops on the tour is the Edward Bannister statue.

Visitors can sit beside him and see what he is drawing, a tribute to one of America’s most famous Black artists.

“He became the first famous Black artist in America,” said Ray Rickman, co-founder of Stages of Freedom.

“The Anglo-Saxon community had a festival in Philadelphia, four and a half million people came.”

Rickman is not only a historian but, also a civil rights veteran who has dedicated his life to sharing these stories.