Efforts to mark Newport’s connection to the American slave trade are moving forward. That’s according to a local group hoping to construct a monument commemorating the city by the sea’s place in the country’s dark history.
Organizers say they’ve identified an ideal location for a potential marker. They say they’re holding off on announcing the exact location until they can present a proposal to the Newport Town Council.
Organizer Victoria Johnson says the group has talked with the city mayor about the proposal. She says the city has not dealt with its place in the slave trade.
“The Newport city history has a void, and it’s never fully acknowledged how important the middle passage was to the city of Newport, not just the city of Newport, but the entire nation,” said Johnson.
The middle passage refers to the journey between West Africa and the Americas. Newport was an important stop for thousands of slaves on this forced journey, with the slave trade dominating the city’s economy throughout the colonial era.
Efforts are underway to place markers that commemorate the history of this slave trade along the eastern seaboard, including in Providence, Bristol and Warren.
