Woonsocket Radio News Room

A new guide, "On The Rhode to Freedom" created by the nonprofit group, Stages of Freedom, is a roadside guide to African American sites in Rhode Island.

 

Spearheaded by co-founder Rob Dimmock, the guide "explores the rich and compelling contributions of African Americans on the landscape and cultural heritage of Rhode Island." Many of the sites featured in the guide can be found right here in the Blackstone Valley. Here are a few examples taken from the guide.

 

  • Woonsocket - Woonsocket City Hall, 169 Main Street. Built by abolitionist Edward Harris, this site hosted Abraham Lincoln's unprecedented second visit to Rhode Island in March 1860. He spoke to a packed audience, defending his position that the nation could not endure half slave and half free. (See plaque located in entryway.)
  • Cumberland - Abolitionist Elizabeth Buffum Chace moved to Valley Falls in 1839 when her husband, Samuel, took over management of the Valley Falls Mills on the Blackstone River. There in the Currier House (no longer standing) they established the main stop on the Underground Railroad in Rhode Island. 
  • North Smithfield - Banneker Industries, 582 Great Road. Named for the great Black mathematician, Benjamin Banneker, Cheryl Snead founded Banneker Industries, a world-class provider of supply chain solutions, specializing in third and fourth-party logistics services, in 1991.

 

The Project is funded by RI Humanities and is truly full of interesting information and couldn't be more timely. As Dimmock noted in an article published by the Valley Breeze, “We really do feel like now is the time to recognize black lives have always been here, and continue to be here. And here are ways to touch those lives that came before us in a powerful and meaningful way." Read on.

 

Witness for the prosecution David Pecker is back on the stand in former President Trump's criminal hush money trial in New York City. The former National Enquirer publisher allegedly paid Playboy model Karen McDougal 150-grand as part of an alleged "catch-and-kill scheme" to squash an affair story involving the former President. That money is not part of the charges, but prosecutors want to establish a pattern that leads to the alleged 130-thousand dollars payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels to cover up Trump's affair.        Tensions are high as protesters on a growing number of college campuses continue to call attention to the crisis in the Middle East. Demonstrators at Columbia University say they want the Ivy League school to divest from companies they say profit from Israel's violations of international law and Palestinian rights. Demonstrations also took place on the West Coast, with police reporting a large gathering on the campus Cal Poly Humboldt.       Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is calling on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resign. In an interview with Ireland's RTE's Six One News, Pelosi called Netanyahu an obstacle to a two-state solution between Israel and Gaza. She said the U.S. recognizes Israel's right to protect itself but argued Netanyahu has been a block to peace in the region for years.        Severe thunderstorms may bring hail, wind damage and tornadoes to the central U.S. later this week. The first round of weather is expected to hit the Plains and Midwest starting on Thursday. Areas from Northwest Texas to western and central parts of Oklahoma and Kansas will be under the threat of wind damage and large hail.        The UK is passing a bill to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda. Britain's plan was condemned by humanitarian groups after Parliament approved the measure. Britain's Prime Minister Rishi [[ ruh-shee ]] Sunak [[ soo-naak ]] said deportation flights to Rwanda would begin in 10-12 weeks.        The NBA is investigating an incident involving one of Nikola Jokic's brothers at Monday night's game between the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers. That's according to TMZ Sports. Video on social media appears to show the older brother of the Nuggets star player punch a fan in the stands.        

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