Newburyport Black History Initiative
The mission of the award-winning Newburyport Black History Initiative (NBHI) is to affirm Black history and belonging in the city of Newburyport by illuminating histories that have been largely overlooked or forgotten and ensuring that these stories are publicly accessible to a broad audience. The core of the project is the installation of high-quality interpretive signs in the everyday public landscape of the city’s downtown for all to see. The NBHI brings together the city’s Planning Department, historians, genealogists, writers, and educators with a core team consisting of: Dr. Kabria Baumgartner, Dean’s Associate Professor of History and Africana Studies at Northeastern University; Geordie Vining, Senior Project Manager for Newburyport’s Planning Office; and Cyd Raschke, Writer/Community Organizer. The project is supported by Community Preservation Act funding, as well as donations. The signs feature the stories of Black Americans who lived and worked in Newburyport from the pre-Revolutionary War era to the early 20th century, ordinary people including domestic servants, mariners, barbers, soldiers, lawyers, and activists. While most of these people were unsung, their lives and contributions helped build local communities and the nation. In addition to interpretive signage, the project engages the public through this website, public events, indoor displays, lectures, tours, videos, articles, burial ground enhancements, and more. The NBHI is the recipient of a 2024 Leadership in History Award of Excellence by the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH).
Please click on the image of the map below for a downloadable & printable .pdf map showing the locations of the eleven NBHI signs and a self-guided walking tour. In addition, scroll down this page to see a number of photographs; and see the links in the column to the left for various video clips, .pdf’s of the individual signs, magazine articles, lectures, and more.
Audience listening to public lecture “Expanding the Spotlight: Black Abolitionists from Newburyport in the Age of Garrison” (Photo by Richard K. Lodge, 12/6/2023)
“Fighting for Double Victory: Newburyport’s Black Soldiers and Sailors” sign on Green Street near the Veterans Plaza in Brown Square (photo by Geordie Vining, 9/26/24)
“Remembering the Women Who Raised America” sign on Green Street – 6/19/24 sign unveiling with Amy Mazur of the Massachusetts Coalition of Domestic Workers, Kabria Baumgartner, Cyd Raschke, and genealogist Kristen Fehlhaber.
Staff Contacts
| Name | Phone |
|---|---|
| Geordie Vining | (978) 465-4400 ext 6 |