Juneteenth with Stages of Freedom’s living history walking tour

Celebrate Juneteenth with a living history walking tour of five Black women who navigated historic Benefit Street in the 18th and 19th centuries.

These exceptional women will be represented by local actresses portraying them in front of sites associated with their life and work.

The women include Fibbo, enslaved cook to Gov. Stephen Hopkins, signer of the Declaration of Independence; Elleanor Eldridge, successful entrepreneur and the first Black woman to represent herself in a court of law, educator Maritcha Lyons, the first student of color to be admitted to a Rhode Island public school; Sissieretta Jones, the great Black opera diva; and sculptress Nancy Elizabeth Prophet, the first woman of African descent to graduate from Rhode Island School of Design. 

Historian Ray Rickman will narrate the tour from site to site for a fuller understanding of how these remarkable Black women negotiated slavery and racism to achieve unprecedented excellence. 

The 90 minute tour will be held Saturday, June 18th at 9:30am originating at the Stages of Freedom Museum, 10 Westminster Street, Providence. Tickets are $18 and may be purchased online at: https://www.jotform.com/92345270022144  More information at (401) 421-0606.

Space is limited, so register now.