Black History

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	Stories	Trail	Links

Historian Recalls Rock Rest Guest House in Kittery

Valerie Cunningham SEACOAST BLACK HISTORY

Hazel Sinclair could never have imagined that the simple act of hiring Valerie Cunningham, her friend's teenage daughter, would secure a place in history for her home and business. Rock Rest, a home near the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, was purchased by Hazel and her husband Clayton, in 1938 and turned into a guest house for African American travelers. (Click title for more)

TJ Wheeler Blues History

TJ_Wheeler BLUESMAN BIOGRAPHY

From TJ Wheeler: I was asked to create a journal for the students of StrathamCooperativeMiddle School. They also asked for some pictures of me from different stages of my career. I thought y'all might get a kick out of them. -- Still Swingin', TJ (See journal and photos below)

Black Child in Early Boston

Pat_Wall_Sequel

BLACK HISTORY

When we last interviewed Pat Wall she had released her first children’s book, the story of an enslaved black child in a white Portsmouth household. Now Matty is older and her family has moved to the big city of Boston at the dawn of the War of 1812. The sequel Beyond Freedom picks up where Child Out of Place left off in our exclusive author interview. (Read below)

Seacoast Artists Ghana Gallery

Photo by Peter Randall A visual portrait of Ghana by six Seacoast photographers has moved from Portsmouth to Portland, Maine. If you missed it here, you must catch it there – and buy the book. SeacoastNH.com is proud to post a few samples from this powerful book of images (see below)

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March 5 –26
Porrtland, Maine 　

Slave Tales of Newburyport

BLACK HISTORY

As a seaport town, Newburyport, MA has a wealth of untold African American. Shocking by today’s standards, this attempt at "black history" published by a white reporter in 1902 shows how racist stereotypes continued to be publicly acceptable into the 20^th century. Reports like this perpetuated bigoted attitudes drawn from local legends and demonstrate that racist views were equally common in the North and South. (Read more below)

NH African Americans 2010

NH HISTORY CALENDAR

Now is the time to get your full color, limited edition, collectible calendars for 2010 depicting African Americans in New Hampshire History from the Colonial period up to the recent past. Order from the NH Circile of Friends. (Read more below)

NH Black History Now Collectible

NH Black Heritage Card sample/PBHT photo

NH HERITAGE

Anthony Clark was a veteran of the American Revolution. He taught dancing and good manners to the children of Warner, NH. Clark was also a black man in a white state, a state that often forgets it has a rich black heritage too. This new set of colorful cards reveals a whole new history of the Granite State.

Blacks Banned at 1964 Dinner

James Barker and Margaret Smith / Portsmouth Athenaeum Collection

BLACK HISTORY

We have our first African American president at last. But let us not forget how recently the struggle for equality was fought – even here in "Yankee" New Hampshire. In 1964 a black couple could not even dine at the exclusive Wentworth by the Sea Hotel.

The Emancipation Activation of President Obama

EDITOR-AT –LARGE

America has proven it can re-invent itself once again. We have elected our first president with African American roots. New Hampshire played its small part in this historic event. Now comes the real test. Will we allow President Barack Obama to be his own man?

How the Friends Saved the Pearl

NH BLACK HISTORY

It took an extraordinary collaboration to save The Pearl of Portsmouth. National, local, nonprofit, volunteer, religious, historical, educational and commercial partners all worked together. This, in brief is how the Friends of Pearl preserved an African American treasure.

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