In collaboration with the Newport Historical Society’s Edward W. Kane and Martha J. Wallace Center for Black History, is thrilled to announce the opening of Forging Freedom: Atlantic Journeys on Saturday, November 15, from 4 to 6 p.m. The exhibition is curated by Dr. Akeia de Barros Gomes, the director of the Center for Black History, and features artists Bob Dilworth, Sika Foyer, Christian Gonçalves, Silvermoon LaRose, Jazzmen Lee-Johnson, Veronica Mays, Jordan Seaberry, Jason E. Smith, Jean-Marc Superville Sovak, and Robin S. Spears Jr. 

This exhibition will raise community awareness and support for the Center for Black History in advance of its official opening on Juneteenth 2026.

Forging Freedom places Black and Dawnland (New England) Indigenous histories, knowledge, and creativity into the story of American heritage and experience. It centers Black and Indigenous voices in this storytelling and shares histories of freedom-making through the perspective and creativity of the participating artists. These artists reclaim freedom and freedom-making through their work and create alternative archives to fill in the historical gaps in documenting freedom-making of people of African and Indigenous descent in port cities. 

As part of the semiquincentennial- the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, the Newport Historical Society, in partnership with the Newport Middle Passage Port Marker Project and the Ruth J. Simmons Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice at Brown University, will open the Edward W. Kane and Martha J. Wallace Center for Black History to explore this question of freedom and recognize and honor the freedom-making of people of African descent in the city of Newport. 

“Freedom is often envisioned as a single moment in time, such as Juneteenth or the signing of the Declaration of Independence. However, freedom is a process. Freedom-making is continuous—it is the work to move us from dystopia toward a utopia,” said de Barros Gomes, who will host a curator talk on December 6 at 5 p.m. “At the Newport Historical Society, we strive to meet people where they are, providing different points of entry into our shared history, and that includes contemporary artwork. We invite the public to come see the exhibition, learn more about our vision for the Center, and consider adding to their personal collections in service of a worthy cause.”