Exhibit Opening: Laboring for Freedom

Join Ray Rickman and Robb Dimmick from Stages of Freedom for the debut of a new exhibit at Old Slater Mill National Historic Landmark. “Laboring for Freedom: African Americans in the Blackstone River Valley” will open October 18, 2024, and stay on display through winter 2024.

“Laboring for Freedom: African Americans in the Blackstone River Valley” is a collaborative exhibit created by Stages of Freedom staff and the National Park Service. This exhibit highlights the contributions of Black laborers from Providence to Worcester, with a focus on the early decades of industry up through the Civil War. From the workers who cut the roads that led to Slater Mill, to the self-emancipated fugitives who came to reside in small towns and growing cities, this exhibit covers stories of resilience from across the Valley.

Kevin Klyberg, Director of Interpretation and Education at Blackstone River Valley NHP, explains the significance of this project. “Park staff worked with Stages of Freedom to create a new exhibit as well as a website to provide windows into an often overlooked, and undervalued group of laborers in the United States: enslaved and free Black people living in and around the Blackstone Valley.”

The opening of “Laboring for Freedom” will take place on Friday, October 18, 2024, from 7 PM – 8 PM at Old Slater Mill National Historic Landmark at 67 Roosevelt Ave., Pawtucket, RI. Remarks will be delivered at 7:15 PM. No reservations are required to attend this free program.