The newport historical society will use funds to hire a full-time research assistant to continue work on its database of records representing black and indigenous individuals

The Newport Historical Society has been awarded a $150,085 Project Grant under the Institute of Museum and Library Services' (IMLS) Museums for America (CFDA 45.301) program. The grant, with a performance period from September 1, 2024 to August 31, 2026, will fund the hiring of a full-time research assistant to continue the Society's work on its database of records representing Black and Indigenous individuals from the Newport area. Since 2021, the Society has identified and recorded over 1,700 names of people of African and Indigenous descent from their archives. The research assistant will further review the collection, digitize records, create biographies, and make these historical resources publicly accessible through the Society's online database. This project aims to improve understanding of Newport's role in the transatlantic slave trade and provide a valuable tool for descendant communities to research their ancestors.

Since this work first began in 2021, the society has identified and recorded more than 1,700 names of people of african and indigenous descent from the archives. The research assistant will continue the review of the collection, digitize records, create biographies of african, african american, and indigenous people who lived and worked in newport during the ERA of slavery, and make these resources available to the public through the society's online database, allowing researchers and the public to better understand the city's role in the transatlantic slave trade and serve as a tool for descendant communities to research their ancestors.