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"Benjamin Thompson's Farewell" by Daniel G. LaMont ca. 1850. Oil on canvas. Depicts Concord, NH resident Benjamin Thompson, later Count Rumford, saying goodbye to his wife, Sarah Walker Rolfe Thompson, in 1775, before leaving for England. Their daughter Sarah is shown in the arms of the Thompson's slave Dinah. Image Courtesy of the
New Hampshire Historical Society
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How does a state with the motto "Live Free or Die" and a celebrated
legacy of abolitionism confront and understand its participation in
slavery, segregation, and the neglect of its African-American history?
This talk will discuss that question. It will also explore what could
happens if we move towards a truer more integrated understanding of
our history that could, once known, change the way we view human
dignity when it is free of historical stereotypes.
JerriAnne Boggis, the Director of the Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail,
is a writer, educator, and community activist who works to correct the
historical record on the racial complexity and richness of New
Hampshire's diverse past. Through the development of several
community programs that focus on history and race, Boggis has raised
the awareness of New Hampshire's little known people of color and
increase the visibility of Black history in the state.
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