Wed 18 Mar, 2009
Brown University announced plans yesterday to build a memorial to commemorate Brown’s historic connections to the slave trade, possibly in Bristol or neighboring Newport, Rhode Island.
Wed 4 Jun, 2008
On Friday, I’ll be in Newport, R.I. to participate in a panel discussion on “The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade in Rhode Island.”
I’ll be speaking about the Rhode Island slave trade and the example of the D’Wolf family of Bristol, R.I., who were the nation’s leading slave traders. My fellow panelists will be Jim Campbell of Brown University, who will discuss what Brown has uncovered about its own connections to slavery; and Keith Stokes, of the Newport County Chamber of Commerce, who will talk about the lives of enslaved Rhode Islanders.
The panel will be held on Friday, June 6, at 4:00pm at the Colony House, Washington Square, Newport, R.I.
Thu 31 Jan, 2008
While we were in Park City, Utah for the Sundance Film Festival, my cousin Tom DeWolf appeared on C-SPAN 2’s Book TV. The program, which ran an hour and 15 minutes, can currently be viewed online here.
Thu 8 Nov, 2007
The local Rhode Island screenings of Traces are generating a fair amount of attention in the state.
Tuesday’s screening in Bristol has resulted in two stories, one in the Providence Journal (“Bristol’s Ties to Slavery Featured“) and another in a local paper, “Slavery Documentary Draws a Packed House.” This is precisely what we were hoping for, as the R.I. screenings are intended to raise the visibility of the film in the state, while the Bristol screening was particularly aimed at giving the residents of Bristol a chance to become familiar with the documentary and to offer their feedback.
And the Phoenix has a story this week, “Buried History: Filmmaker Sparks Fresh Dialogue About RI’s Slave-Trading Past,” focused on last week’s screening in Providence at the Black Repertory Company. (Disclaimer: I was interviewed for the story.)
Wed 7 Nov, 2007
Yesterday, we held the Bristol, R.I. premiere of Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North, at the Roger Williams University School of Law.
This screening was intended to introduce the film to interested residents of Bristol, where the D’Wolf family was based and where many of the U.S. scenes were filmed. It was also an opportunity to thank some of the Bristol residents who assisted with filming, and to let them share their reactions and concerns.
The screening drew about 330 people, far more than the appellate courtroom designated for the screening could hold. To the credit of the law school and its staff, we were quickly given a large lecture hall for a second, simultaneous screening, which was also quickly filled to capacity.
Fri 6 Jul, 2007
As some of you know, there is a documentary film coming out about several of my ancestors and their role in the slave trade.
Traces of the Trade tells the story of the D’Wolf family of Bristol, R.I. and follows ten of our family today, as we retrace the route of the triangle trade and discuss the implications of this family legacy for U.S. race relations today.
