NEWBURYPORT — (Photos) Generations of Black Americans contributed to the growth and vibrancy of Newburyport, a diversity that has been rarely reflected in history.
On Wednesday, Feb. 1, the first day of Black History Month, the City took its first step toward rectifying that omission. More than 50 people gathered at a bridge in the heart of a one-time Black neighborhood to dedicate the installation of the first historic interpretive sign that recognizes the contributions of the city’s Black Americans.
This sign focuses on “A Black Neighborhood in Historic Newburyport,” marking the location of “Guinea Village” and the adjacent railroad bridge over Low Street then known as “Guinea Bridge.”
The project is a collaboration among the City, the Newburyport Black History Initiative (NBHI), Mayor Sean Reardon, and the City Council, with support from Community Preservation Act funds.
Mayor Reardon opened the ceremony with a moment of silence for Tyre Nichols, who was killed by Memphis police officers during a traffic stop recently.
Mayor Reardon reflected on the City’s long efforts to preserve its history, and called the omission of Black history “an unjust erasure.”
“For too long, that history has not included a proper narrative of the Black experience in Newburyport,” Mayor Reardon said. “We have an opportunity to better tell that story and reflect on what it means for our efforts of racial justice today. Furthering the cause of justice means a full reckoning of our history.”
Dr. Kabria Baumgartner, a Northeastern University professor and NBHI member, said one reason Black Newburyport history has been forgotten is that many original structures were not preserved. She thanked numerous people and organizations who have contributed to this effort.
“There are more stories to tell about African Americans,” Dr. Baumgartner said. “We could dot this landscape with thousands of signs. Our work is just beginning.”
City Senior Project Manager Geordie Vining shared the story of those in Newburyport’s Black community who fought the adoption of the Fugitive Slave Act, and later the installation of a statue honoring anti-abolitionist Daniel Webster in Boston. Disagreements over American history continue today, he added.
“People fight about, what is the story of America, how do we deal with people in our past who are associated with the perpetuation of slavery, and who honor in the public landscape,” Vining said.
NHBI member Cyd Raschke shared the genesis of the organization, and that she was pleased to learn that the City has also begun researching the same forgotten history.
“The Black History Initiative signs may show people of color, but it’s not their history, it’s all our history,” she said.
Planned interpretive signs will tell the stories of author Nancy Gardner Prince, whose 1850 book “A Narrative of The Life And Travels of Mrs. Nancy Prince” detailed her life and travels in Russia and Jamaica; Louis Clarkson Tyree, who graduated from Harvard Law School in part due to the generosity of Newburyporters; and the Wolfe Tavern on Harris and State streets and its well-known doorman, Moses Prophet Townes.
Other signs planned will focus on the importance of studio photography in the Black community, the abolitionist movement, public education, Black-owned business, Black soldiers and sailors who served in the Civil War, and Black mariners.
Attendees included former Mayor Donna Holaday, City Councilor At-Large Constance Preston, School Committee Chair Sarah Hall, State Sen. Bruce Tarr, and representatives of the offices of U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, U.S. Sen. Edward Markey, and U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton.
