Not a Slave, yet not Free: Harriet E. Wilson and the Abolition Movement

Tour Guide: David Nelson Harriet E. Wilson was the first African American of any gender to publish a novel on the North American continent. Her novel Our Nig, or Sketches from the Life of a Free Black was published in 1859. Born a free person of color in New Hampshire, Wilson was orphaned when young and bound until the age of 18 as an indentured servant. She struggled to make a living after that, marrying twice; her only son George…

From the Black Power and Black Arts movements of the 20th century to the Black Lives Matter movement of today, artists of color have created public art that provided a communal vision of history, heritage, and hope.   Recently the works of three culturally conscious Black artists – the bronze head of a Black woman by Simone Leigh, four Afrofuturistic females by Wangechi Mutu, and the 20-foot sculpture of a dreadlocked black male rider on a stallion by Kehinde Wiley – have set a…

Performance art has played an important role in narrating the African American story. The Negro spirituals sung by enslaved Africans laid the foundation for today’s gospel, blues, jazz, and rap music. All these musical forms provide artists a chance to express the Black experience. Join us for this spirit-lifting gospel concert by students, alumni, and community members from Howard University, who perform Christ-centered music as a means of healing and empowering communities. As the first college choir of its kind…

Derived from African culture and dance, the art of stepping was created by the enslaved when enslavers refused to let them communicate with drums. Stepping uses the body as an instrument that incorporates slapping the arms, legs, and chest. Made popular by historically Black Greek organizations, today, this art form combines chanting, singing, and dancing. Uproar is a high-energy performance that introduces audiences to the unique lineages of this African American dance and demonstrates how enslaved people on American soil used…

Sand mandalas are colorful, intricate works of art that are destroyed upon completion. As a meditation on impermanence after days or weeks of creating their complex patterns, mandalas are ritualistically destroyed and brushed into an urn and spilled into a body of running water as a symbolic blessing and offering to the universe. Every intricate detail of these mandalas is fixed in the tradition and has many levels of specific symbolic meanings. Drawing inspiration from this Buddhist tradition of building…

Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Sonya Martino During the Spring of 1796, George Washington’s final months in office, Ona Judge, an enslaved woman owned by the First Family, escaped the Executive Mansion in Philadelphia with the aid of that city’s free Black community and made her way to Portsmouth. On this tour, you will hear the true story of Ona’s quest for freedom and the President’s relentless efforts to get her back. See the waterfront where she lands and visit…

Sankofa Tour Guide: Valerie Fagin Can you imagine the hustle and bustle of a prosperous colonial seaport town? This tour invites you to discover the world of early Portsmouth from the perspective of African American women. In spite of enslavement and hardship, these women fought for freedom, defied a sitting president, and educated generations of children to follow. Hear their stories about love and faith and struggle, as you walk past the homes of the families who enslaved them.

Tour Guide: Barbara Rimkunas Walk in the footsteps of Exeter’s earlier generations and explore the racial history of the town—the conflicts, concessions, and changes that have taken place over time. This tour will explore how racial identity has shaped Exeter’s history and will serve to open a dialogue that will help shape its future.

Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Kevin Wade Mitchel as Jack Staines Seafaring was one of the most significant occupations among both enslaved and free Black men between 1740 and 1865. Black seamen sailed on whalers, warships, and privateers. Some were enslaved and forced to work at sea, but by 1800 most seamen were free to seek adventure and economic opportunity aboard ship. On this tour, you will meet Jack Staines, husband to Ona Judge Staines, the President, and Martha Washington’s…

Sankofa Tour Guide: Daniel Comly At the turn of the 19th century, Black abolitionists are changing public attitudes about slavery and challenging racial bias in the courts. In Portsmouth, never enslaved and newly freed Black adults share households with still enslaved children and elders. It is a time of possibilities, hope, and tension. True stories about these families will describe how a community of African refugees were claiming their place as Americans.