William J. Brown was an African-American civic leader who may have authored the most thoughtful narrative by a free man of color in the 19th Century. Mr. Brown uses his autobiography to tell how his family came to America on a slave ship owned by Moses and John Brown and then touches on the entire sweep of 19th-Century Rhode Island history. Linden Place will host a lecture by Ray Rickman who has studied Brown and his book for 20 years and uses the book to talk about culture, class, and race during an 80-year span of Rhode Island life.
Ray Rickman is considered a leader in the promotion of African-American history, and conducts general and African-American tours of College Hill. He is a former president of the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society and was secretary of the Rhode Island Historical Society for seven years.
The lecture will take place in the Linden Place ballroom on Sunday, February 19th at 2 P.M. This lecture is co-sponsored by the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities and is free and open to the public. Space is limited. Please make reservations by calling the Linden Place office at 253-0390 or e-mail info@lindenplace.org
