Newport Black History Walking Tour- Rhode Island Slave History Medallions Seminar

The Rhode Island Slave History Medallion's mission is to highlight the overlooked histories of Rhode Island's free and enslaved African American and Indigenous communities. They produce a very popular Black History Walking Tour from Memorial Day weekend until the last Sunday of October. Join the tour director in this engaging event which brings the walking tour to you! If you have some mobility issues or simply want to learn more about how this organization started and the history of Newport's dominant role in the institution of slavery, you will enjoy this opportunity.   

Note: While this program is about the provided walking tour, no walking is happening at this event. This event is lecture style. 

Registration Required.

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Margaret Baker has been part of the Newport community for more than four decades and brings deep historical knowledge and lived experience to her role as a public historian with Rhode Island Slave History Medallions (RISHM). A former student at the University of Iowa she majored in Literature. She is a dedicated researcher whose work focuses on early Black history in Rhode Island and the state’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade.

Margaret joined RISHM in 2019 and contributes to the organization’s mission of installing bronze medallions at sites connected to enslaved and formerly enslaved individuals. She also serves as Tour Director for the Newport Black History Walking Tour, an eight‑stop educational experience in Newport’s Historic District. The tour has been widely praised by visitors from across the country and continues to foster understanding, empathy, and community learning.