RIBHS at 50 Years
As it enters its 50th year, the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society (RIBHS) continues to grow and thrive with your support. For half a century, RIBHS has collected, preserved, and shared the history of people of African heritage in Rhode Island.
Recent years have brought major exhibitions, publications, and national research collaborations. Current priorities include caring for and expanding our archives, developing a Rhode Island African Heritage multimedia web portal, and running BirthRiteRI, an “adulting” program for high school students.
In a time when diversity and historical truth face increasing challenges, RIBHS remains committed to placing African heritage at the center of Rhode Island’s story—and relies on the support of all who share that vision.
Scroll down if you would like more information about our work.
Please join us today!
One-time Donations
Donor Circle Levels
Eleanor Eldridge Discovery Circle – $55/year
Click here to Join
Newport Gardner Change Champions
$300/year Click here or
$25/month Click here.
Duchess Quamino Pioneering Patrons
$600/year Click here or
$50/month Click here.
George T. Downing Empowerment Circle
$1000/year Click here or
$83.34/month Click here
Edward Mitchell Bannister Dream Weavers
$2400/year Click here or
$200/month Click here.
Mahlon Van Horne Keepers of the Flame
$5000 Click here
Our Circle donors enjoy added benefits in addition to the newsletter, such as early event invitations, discounts on tours and ticketed events, and recognition on the website. Your welcome email will detail the specific benefits
Collections
The RIBHS holds the largest and most comprehensive collection of materials related to people of African heritage in Rhode Island. Broadly defined, this includes African Americans, Cape Verdean descendants, Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Latino residents, and recent African immigrants.
Spanning over 500 linear feet, the collection documents history from the late 18th century to today. Highlights include the papers of Joseph G. LeCount, Bertha G. Higgins, and Rev. Mahlon Van Horne, along with artifacts such as hogshead barrels, tools, musical instruments, and furnishings from historic Black churches. It also includes artworks and records from RIBHS’s own 50-year history.
These collections power RIBHS programs that interpret Rhode Island’s history and culture through the experiences of African heritage people—illuminating the shared forces that have shaped the state, past and present.
BirthRiteRI – “Know your heritage, know your potential.”
BirthRiteRI is a college and career readiness program for high school juniors and seniors that builds confidence through heritage and experiential learning. Students explore history, financial literacy, self-care, and civic engagement and more—visiting the Statehouse, Washington D.C., and institutions such as Howard University and the National Museum of African American History and Culture. They also experience the African diaspora firsthand through travel to St. Thomas, Puerto Rico, and Cape Verde, deepening their understanding of identity, leadership, and opportunity.
Recent Major Exhibitions
- Gilded Age Newport in Color (2024) – with the Preservation Society of Newport County
- Edward Mitchell Bannister’s Landscapes in Conversation (Mar–Dec 2025) – with the Newport Art Museum
- A Matter of Truth – with the Rhode Island Office of the Secretary of State
- A Matter of Truth: Newport – with the Newport Restoration Foundation
Programs & Initiatives
Through lectures, celebrations, and community events, RIBHS explores topics such as African heritage entrepreneurship, medical pioneers, Juneteenth, and the shared African and Irish experiences in Gilded Age Newport. The Society also supports preservation of historic sites like God’s Little Acre, one of the nation’s oldest and best-preserved African burying grounds.
Educational initiatives include a forthcoming African Heritage Wiki and resources for schools, while researchers and partners access RIBHS collections and loaned materials for exhibits and scholarship statewide. Also publications like “A Matter of Truth,” the result of a study of Rhode Island and Providence’s history of discrimination.
RIBHS also provides access to the invaluable information within its collections to researchers at all levels, and has an active loan program to support the work of humanities colleagues within the state who also seek to highlight the history and contributions of people of color.