PROVIDENCE, R.I. — October 23, 2001 — Steve Pennell, artist-in-residence at the University of Rhode Island’s Providence Campus, with the cooperation of the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society, has created a series called “Reversing Racism – Cultural Sharecropping” for the month of November to promote education and understanding. The events sponsored by the Providence Journal, include:
o EXHIBIT: Racism – Reversing Images from November 1 to 30. The URI Providence Campus Gallery, located at 80 Washington St. in Providence, opens a series on racism with an exhibit of Black Americana; images, products and art works which were created and used to promote racial prejudice and to reinforce stereotypes from slavery to the Civil Rights Movement. The exhibit comes from an extensive collection owned by Onna Moniz-John of East Providence. The images and artifacts, including Aunt Jemima and the like, were often used for product merchandising and bear powerfully negative sub-textual messages.
Moniz-John is a native of Rhode Island who is both a lecturer on and collector of black memorabilia which she shares with others through numerous presentations across the state. Her collection has been displayed in schools, colleges and universities, libraries, municipalities, hospitals and corporate America. For the past 15 years, Moniz-John has set-up a display at East Providence City Hall for the month of February. Her collection include: hundreds of icons depicting stereotypes, racially derogatory postcard advertisements, slave cuffs, slave papers, dolls, African-American heroes, inventors and other historical black subject matter that she uses for educational and commemorative purposes.
The opening reception is planned on November 1 at 5:30 (which also recognizes the anniversary of the founding of the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society), followed by a gallery talk by Christopher A. Souse, a local young scholar. Gallery hours are Monday to Thursday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Gallery tours for school groups can be arranged. For information call 277-5206.
o “SLURS: *%#&!”: Twelve middle school, 12 high school and 12 URI students will present a collage performance that includes poetry and other literature from the Civil Rights Movement November 15 to 17 at 1 & 7 p.m. in the URI Providence Gallery, with guest appearances on Saturday by the Providence Strike Force and the John Hope Steppers. This project is created through a collaboration between URI Providence Campus and the Providence Black Repertory Company.
o OPEN MIC ON RACISM AND THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT: The URI Providence Campus and the Providence Black Repertory Company are
sponsoring an open mic on racism and the Civil Rights Movement with “Round Midnight: A Rappers Delight” on November 16 at the Providence Black Rep space at 131 Washington Street beginning at 8 p.m.
o FREEDOM SPEAKERS: SOWING TRUTH: Dr. Fayneese Miller (Brown University, Race and Ethnicity), Rev. James C. Miller (First Baptist Church and former director of the Rhode Island State Council of Churches), and Rev. Dr. Virgil Wood (pastor of the Pond Street Baptist Church), will speak on abolitionism and the Civil Rights Movement and their personal and professional experiences in the fight to reverse racial prejudice and violence. The event, sponsored by URI Providence Campus with the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society, will take place at the Beneficent Congregational Church, 300 Weybosset St. November 19 at 7 p.m., following the ringing of the downtown church bells in honor of Sojourner Truths birthday. Rev. Richard H. Taylor and Dr. John McCray, URI vice provost for urban programs at the URI Providence Campus will host the event, which will be followed by a reception.
For Information: Steve Pennell, 277-5206