Presenters:
Sharon Jones, Singer and Activist
Renay Allen, Author
Barbara Baker Williams, Reverse Freedom Rider
Moderator: Senator David Watters

The first enslaved African arrived in New Hampshire in 1645. There’s a long, rich Black history in the Granite State. Colonial New Hampshire newspapers testify to the state’s slave trade, runaways, abolitionists, and anti-abolitionist activities, followed by conflicting opinions about the Civil War. In the 20th century, the legacy of that early history was reflected in news about de facto segregation in housing and public places.

For this panel, you will hear the story of Black Revolutionary War soldier Jude Hall of Exeter and first-hand stories about the Civil Rights Movement in New Hampshire including the Reverse Freedom rides of 1962 to our state.
First aired live via Zoom on Sunday, February 28, 2021.