EWH Tea Talk: Sites of Memory: Reconstructing the Past

Contrary to popular belief, New Hampshire’s history did not begin with the arrival of European settlers and all of New Hampshire’s indigenous people were not killed off by disease and war. At six million strong, Native Americans are a vibrant part of America’s present. This talk will explore current debates, including the perennial discussion over an art panel in the US Post Office in Durham and the effects of race on reclaiming indigenous spaces of remembrance not only in New…

This documentary focuses on the efforts of two dedicated historic preservationists and activists, Valerie Cunningham (co-author of Black Portsmouth: Three Centuries of African American Heritage) of Portsmouth and JerriAnne Boggis of Milford, to recover the stories of people who have been rendered nearly invisible in the historical record, from individuals laid to rest at the African Burying Ground in Portsmouth to the novelist Harriet Wilson of Milford to the twenty slaves who petitioned the state legislature for their freedom in…

This documentary focuses on the efforts of two dedicated historic preservationists and activists, Valerie Cunningham (co-author of Black Portsmouth: Three Centuries of African American Heritage) of Portsmouth and JerriAnne Boggis of Milford, to recover the stories of people who have been rendered nearly invisible in the historical record, from individuals laid to rest at the African Burying Ground in Portsmouth to the novelist Harriet Wilson of Milford to the twenty slaves who petitioned the state legislature for their freedom in…

Most conversations about race focus on inter-racial violence and competition (whites v. people of color). This talk explores intra-racial violence and competition (elite whites v working class and poor whites) as the origin and purpose behind the creation of what we call “white” and how this designation is maintained through ritual violence and the ritual use of a sacrificial class of underprivileged people to diffuse that competition. Warning: PowerPoint presentation contains graphic images. Presenter Rev. Ian White Maher Part of…

In a compelling speech about race in America, Mitch Landrieu said "There is a difference between remembrance of history and reverence of it." Through discussing physical and artistic sites of memory,  this panel will explore how a narrative picture of the past develops an identity for our present. Presenters Senator David Watters, Retired Professor of English, UNH Eric Aldrich, Independent Scholar Joel Christian Gill, American cartoonist, comics artist, graphic novelist Part of the 2018 Elinor Williams Hooker Tea Talks -…

This documentary focuses on the efforts of two dedicated historic preservationists and activists, Valerie Cunningham (co-author of Black Portsmouth: Three Centuries of African American Heritage) of Portsmouth and JerriAnne Boggis of Milford, to recover the stories of people who have been rendered nearly invisible in the historical record, from individuals laid to rest at the African Burying Ground in Portsmouth to the novelist Harriet Wilson of Milford to the twenty slaves who petitioned the state legislature for their freedom in…

“In the wake of Democrat Doug Jones’ victory in the Alabama special election, Black women again became icons, trapped in a cycle of ennoblement, flattening, and dehumanization.” Black women and girls have continually been on the front lines of progressive change movements, using their voices and stories to mobilize intersectional coalitions to dismantle oppressive systems. Yet, they are routinely portrayed in television and film as sassy, neck-rolling harpies with major attitude problems. Black women say these depictions have real world…

Author Presentation, Living History Performance, Book Signing & House Tour Apart from a handful of exotic and almost completely unreliable tales surrounding his life, Richard Potter is mostly unknown today. Two hundred years ago he was the most popular entertainer in America—in fact, the first showman to win nationwide fame. His story is even more remarkable in that Richard Potter was also a black man. Working as a magician and ventriloquist, he personified for an entire generation what a popular…

When we mark down our history through a form of memorialization, we not only ensure that we will not forget the person or event paid tribute to, but that our future generations will have this knowledge as well. Hear from a group of young New Hampshire residents about their journey to self-discovery as ‘people of color’ in a state often described as “lilly white.” Presenters Jubilee Byfield, University of New Hampshire, Class of 2019 Nya Barnette Grace Wilson, Part of…

Join producers Nancy & Brian Vawter and BHTNH Director JerriAnne Boggis for a lively and insightful dialogue after each screening. This documentary focuses on the efforts of two dedicated historic preservationists and activists, Valerie Cunningham (co-author of Black Portsmouth: Three Centuries of African American Heritage) of Portsmouth and JerriAnne Boggis of Milford, to recover the stories of people who have been rendered nearly invisible in the historical record, from individuals laid to rest at the African Burying Ground in Portsmouth…