Projects
About Inspire! Newark's Underground Railroad and mapping slavery
This pop-up exhibition Inspire! Newark's Underground Railroad at the Newark Public Library was curated on the occasion of the creation of the monument Shadow of a Face, A Harriet Tubman Monument by Nina Cooke John in March 2023.
The Harriet Tubman Monument was commissioned by the City of Newark and by the order of the Honorable Mayor Ras J. Baraka. fayemi shakur, Arts and Cultural Affairs Director for the City of Newark, oversaw the project. Many thanks to the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for funding this exhibition.
Inspire! Newark’s Underground Railroad
Like Harriet Tubman, Newark’s Underground Railroad activists’ courageous fight against
slavery—despite entrenched interests in the institution in the city—inspired Black and
multiracial civil rights activism
Mapping Slavery Newark
A map of some of the countless streets, buildings, and people connected to slavery in Newark curated by Black Power! 19th Century by Noelle Lorraine Williams.
CURATOR
Noelle Lorraine Williams
Consultant
Dr. James Amemasor
THANK YOU TO PUBLIC AND INDEPENDENT ARCHIVES, ARCHIVISTS, LIBRARIANS AND COLLEAGUES
Old Newark.com
Newark Archives Project
Dr. James Amemasor
Contributing ARTISTS
Margie "Mia X" Johnson, Poet
Stafford Woods, Photographer
Jillian Rock, Photographer
John Matturi, Photographer
Cesar Melgar, Photographer
Tanisha Best, Photographer
COLLABORATORS
Nina Cooke John
City of Newark/fayemi shakur
Newark Public Library Administration
Newark Public Library Charles F. Cummings New Jersey Information Center
New Jersey State Archives
Presbyterian Historical Society
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
James Brown African American Room at The Newark Public Library
Our Partners
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
About black power 19th Century
In The Newark Public Library received a project grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State for this exhibition. The library received a grant from PNC Foundation for their Black History Celebration.
The historical re-creation videos were funded by the 2020 City of Newark's Creative Catalyst Fund in partnership with Newark Arts.
The recreation photos of sites on the Rutgers Campus was funded by a Rutgers University - Newark American Studies Public Humanities grant.
CURATOR, RESEARCHER AND PROGRAM MANAGER
Noelle Lorraine Williams
SUPERVISING SCHOLAR | EXHIBITION
Dr. James Amemasor
RUTGERS UNIVERSITY - NEWARK AMERICAN STUDIES PROGRAM ADVISORS
Dr. Melissa Cooper, Dr. Mary Rizzo and Dr. Ruth Feldstein
THANK YOU TO PUBLIC AND INDEPENDENT ARCHIVES, ARCHIVISTS, LIBRARIANS AND COLLEAGUES
Old Newark.com
Newark Archives Project
Dr. James Amemasor
Beth Zak-Cohen
Tom Ankner
Greg Guderian
Dale Colston
Ingrid Betancourt
INSTITUTIONS
Newark Public Library Administration
Newark Public Library Charles F. Cummings New Jersey Information Center
Rutgers University American Studies Public Humanities
New Jersey State Archives
Presbyterian Historical Society
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
James Brown African American Room at The Newark Public Library
Thank you to the artists, MEDIA PRODUCTION CREW AND DESIGNERS
Kay the Kreator, Gold Standard Productions Team
Khali Raymond
Janėtza Maria Miranda
Sharon Davis
Special thanks to Grace Church in Newark and Reverend Brent Bates
Eula Lovett
Chris Thomas
Adrienne Wheeler
Jillian Rock
Linda Lobdell
Amanda Klein
Our Partners
