Resources on African American History
The 1696 Historical Commission was signed into law on July 1, 2014 and was tasked with developing a comprehensive African American history curriculum for Rhode Island public schools from kindergarten through grade 12. This page includes resources provided by organizations, scholars, and historians throughout Rhode Island to support classroom instruction in African-American history.
The 1696 Historical Commission was formed in 2014 and is comprised of elected officials, educators, and historians dedicated to teaching African American history to students in Rhode Island. The Commission’s goal is to teach African American history throughout the school year and throughout different time periods of history. You can find the final report of the Commission here (Report 1 and Report 2).
This page is meant to serve as a resource to educators. Please explore this page, visit these resources, and utilize the sources that make sense for your curriculum and your classroom. This list will continue to evolve as more sources become available to be added. Thank you for your commitment to teaching our students.
The Rhode Island Historical Society is coordinating the 1696 Historical Task Force and this listing. If you have questions about the material or would like to submit a resource to be added to this list, please contact the RIHS Education Team at education@rihs.org.