NEWPORT, RI – The Rhode Island Black Heritage Society (RIBHS) and the Newport Restoration Foundation (NRF) are announcing programming in celebration of the Juneteenth holiday including the opening of A Matter of Truth-Newport, an exhibition on view at Vernon House/46 Clarke Street, Newport.
The community is invited to an afternoon and evening of storytelling, history, and reflection as part of a special event celebrating Black freedom and honoring the rich and complex history of African heritage and Indigenous peoples in Rhode Island.
June 19th, 1:30 PM
Rought Point, 680 Bellevue Ave, Newport, “Stories and Songs in Celebration of Black Freedom” a dynamic performance by Valerie Tutson of the Rhode Island Black Storytellers. Through powerful narratives and songs, Tutson will bring to life the enduring spirit, resilience, and cultural traditions of Black communities. Tickets for this free program are available at newportrestoration.org/events.
June 19th, 5:30 PM
Jane Pickens Theater, 49 Touro St. Newport. “A Matter of Truth Newport: Chronicling 400 Years of Resilience in Newport, Rhode Island (1620-2020)” a talk by Keith W. Stokes — Rhode Island’s State Historian Laureate and co-author of A Matter of Truth — will deliver a thought-provoking talk on the ongoing journey toward truth, justice, and equity. Stokes’ presentation will offer historical insights and personal reflections on Rhode Island’s 400-year history of racial discrimination and resilience. Tickets available at https://janepickens.com/.
June 20th, 11:00AM-4:00PM
Vernon House, 46 Clarke St., Newport. Opening of A Matter of Truth-Newport, an exhibition celebrating the contributions and resiliency of African heritage and Indigenous peoples in Newport, Rhode Island.
Inspired by the book A Matter of Truth: The Struggle for African Heritage & Indigenous People Equal Rights in Providence, Rhode Island (1620-2020), this exhibition, through objects and narratives from RIBHS’s extensive collections, celebrates the indelible contributions of people of color to the rich legacy of Newport’s architectural and cultural heritage.
Theresa Guzmán Stokes, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society states, “This exhibit shines a light not only on Newport’s rich and complex history, but also on the deep importance of preserving the places where those stories unfolded. To stand in the spaces where people lived, worked, and worshipped is to feel their presence — to see history come alive in a way that words alone cannot capture. For African heritage history especially, these touchstones matter. They bear witness to lives, to struggles, to triumphs, and to a legacy that deserves to be seen and celebrated. Through our partnership with the Newport Restoration Foundation, we are honored to help bring these stories to life and ensure they continue to inspire for generations to come.”
Themes will include the long and often overlooked history of racial injustice in Rhode Island, tracing the displacement of Indigenous peoples, the enslavement of African heritage peoples, Newport’s Gilded Age, and the impact of 20th-century urban renewal—shedding light on the persistent patterns that continue to shape the lives of people of color today. This meaningful gathering offers an opportunity for our community to come together, honor the past, and look ahead with a deeper understanding of the history that connects us all.
“We are so pleased to be partnering with the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society to bring this exhibition and programming to Newport,” states Gina Tangorra, NRF Director of Engagement. “NRF and RIBHS have a long-connected history—our founder Doris Duke was an early supporter of the planned Black history museum in Newport in the1970s and NRF Executive Director Francis Comstock was an advisor on the project. The core collections of that planned museum formed the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society—and so it feels full-circle to be hosting this exhibit at the Vernon House, a historical site in NRF’s care with many layers of stories. The Vernon House—like many of the houses that NRF stewards—has a long and deep history connected to stories of Black and Indigenous resiliency, entrepreneurship, and placemaking.”
The exhibition at Vernon House/46 Clarke Street, Newport will run from June 20th to September 28th, 2025, on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, from 11:00AM to 4:00 PM. Admission to A Matter of Truth-Newport is free. Timed entry reservations are available at newportrestoration.org/tickets.
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About the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society
The Rhode Island Black Heritage Society, formed in 1975, is one of America’s oldest African heritage and historical organizations. Constituted for the purposes of collecting, preserving, and interpreting materials relating to the history of the African Heritage people of Rhode Island and beyond.
About the Newport Restoration Foundation
The Newport Restoration Foundation is a non-profit organization established by philanthropist Doris Duke in 1968 to preserve the architectural and cultural heritage of 18th and 19th century Newport. NRF promotes economic and community restoration through historic preservation initiatives like Keeping History Above Water, which advocates for resiliency and the protection of cultural resources in the wake of climate change, the Historic Trades Initiative, which trains the next generation of preservation tradespeople in vital skills, and Telling Stories, which shares the stories of people connected to the places NRF cares for and helps ensure their preservation. In addition to a portfolio of more than 70 historic houses rented in an unique Tenant Stewardship program, NRF operates properties that are open to the public including Rough Point, the Newport home of Doris Duke, and the 300+ year-old Vernon House, a site of expansive storytelling, contemporary dialogue, and preservation trades skill-building. For more information, please visit www.NewportRestoration.org.
NRF is on Facebook /NPTRestoration and Instagram @NPTRestoration
