Are We Serious This Time:  Shadows of Racial Healing

Martha’s Vineyard Performing Arts Center
100 Edgartown Vineyard Haven Road
Oaks Bluff, MA
 
2:30pm – 6:00pm 
New England is proud of its legacy as the birthplace of liberty in North America, which is reflected in New Hampshire’s state motto, “Live Free or Die.”  However, many people may be surprised to learn about the oft-forgotten history of slavery and segregation in this area. 
At this installment of our discussion series to uncover Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation work in our region, New England Blacks in Philanthropy (NEBiP) and the Kellogg Foundation are pleased to present a preview of the documentary Shadows Fall North.
This documentary explores the untold history of early Black Americans in our region. To complement the film, we have assembled a panel of leaders from local Black Heritage trails:
JerriAnne Boggis, director of  the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire
Valerie Cunningham, consultant and historic preservationist from New Hampshire
L’Merche Frazier, Director of Education & Interpretation, Boston’s Museum of African American History
At the center of our discussion will be a look at how our Heritage Trails can be pathways to racial healing as we uncover the truth of our hidden past.
Lisa Simmons of The Color of Film Collaborative, Inc. will moderate the evening.
NEBiP’s mission is to create a paradigm shift of focusing on Black potential and leverage rather than deficit, by shining a light on the assets and power of Black philanthropy and communities.
The documentary film Shadows Fall North 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 (founder of the Harriet Wilson Project) 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 enslaved men in New Hampshire who petitioned the state legislature for their freedom in 1779…and many more.
Co-Sponsors:
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
The Boston Foundation
Nellie Mae Foundation