May 4, 2019, 9am-4pm
St John's Church, 101 Chapel Street, Portsmouth NH
The United States of America, “a nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal,” began as a slave society. This history of enslavement has left an indelible imprint on our nation’s soul. Recent racially violent events that occurred in towns from Claremont, NH to Charlottesville, VA have put a spotlight on the country’s failure to have authentic conversations about slavery and its legacy.
This symposium will explore the legacy of enslavement and the psychological effects of centuries of systemic racism that have resulted in multigenerational adaptive behaviors that are detrimental and destructive to the nation. The program will also explore how varying levels of socially learned stress-related issues were passed along through generations as a result of slavery. Through interactive dialogue, participants will have an opportunity to unlock their own truths by critically evaluating history, medicine, science and education.
COST
$35 TOUR & SYMPOSIUM (includes lunch)
$25 SYMPOSIUM ONLY (includes lunch)
$20 TOUR ONLY
Call 603-570-8469 for more information.
Program Outline
9:00 am Guided Tour
Enslaved Bodies, Free Minds: The Making of a Black Community in Portsmouth, NH
BHTNH Tour Guide & Sankofa Scholar Angela Matthews
10:30 am Address & Interactive Dialogue
“Re-membering”: An act of resistance to combat the wounds inflicted by slavery
Dr. Dottie Morris - Keene State College
12:00 pm Lunch
12:30 pm Artist Presentation
Fighting through and emerging from the era of slavery: A Family story of success
Christle Rawlins-Jackson- Beacon Hill Scholars
1:15 pm Address & Interactive Dialogue
James DeWolf Perry - The Tracing Center
2:50 pm Closing Activity
Healing the Wounds
Dottie Morris & James DeWolf Perry
Biographies
Dr. Dottie Morris is a member of the Keene State College President’s Cabinet and the Associate Vice President for Institutional Diversity and Equity. Her main foci are providing support and direction to the Executive, Academic, Student Affairs, Advancement and Finance and Planning divisions of the college as the institution works to fulfill its commitment to diversity and multiculturalism.
Christle Rawlins-Jackson is an artist, photographer, and poet who uses a variety of mediums as conduits for creative expression. Christle is an avid lover of history and genealogy. She is currently in the process of writing about her maternal ancestors the Black Loyalist of Nova Scotia as well as the Nipmuc of Natick, Massachusetts. She is the current president of The Beacon Hill Scholars; an organization dedicated to the preservation of the history of nineteenth-century African American abolitionists who lived and owned businesses on Beacon Hill. She is also a founding member and vise president of Sisters and Stitches Joined By The Cloth Quilt Guild whose mission is to uphold the tradition of African American quilting as well provide education about the rich history of people of color and cloth.
James DeWolf Perry was nominated for an Emmy Award for his role as the principal historical consultant for the PBS documentary, Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North, in which he also appears as a descendant of James DeWolf, the leading slave-trader in U.S. history. After the release of the film, James co-founded the Tracing Center and served as its founding board chair, before becoming executive director. James now leads many of the center’s public programs on racial healing and equity, as well as professional workshops for educators and public history professionals.
