Telling the Story of Black Women: Our Inaugural Preservation Breakfast Fundraiser
PROVIDENCE, RI — Charity Bailey. Mattie L. Smith. Meredith Bickham Costa. Justice Melissa A. Long. Judge Melissa R. DuBose. Pamela Hughes. Diana Garlington. Pilar McCloud.
These are the honorees of Telling the Story of Black Women, the African American Museum of Rhode Island’s (AAMRI) inaugural Preservation Breakfast to celebrate community and amplify Black contributions in and to the Ocean State. The fundraiser on May 12, 2025 from 8:30 to 11AM in the Providence Marriott, 1 Orms St., Providence is the first of many for this initiative that bridges the needs of youth of color with professional opportunities in the museum and arts industries.
The keynote speaker is Attorney Misty Delgado, Chief of Staff for the state Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF). The lifelong Rhode Islander and mother, born and raised in Providence, oversees a wide range of critical operations for DCYF and previously prosecuted sensitive cases involving the well-being of children.
“All these women are our building blocks, having served as elected officials, judicial officers, and community organization founders,” says AAMRI Executive Director Christopher West PhD. “They are all transformational leaders, and their stories will live through the museum.”
Launched last September, the museum preserves and shares the 20th century and diasporic histories of African heritage communities in Rhode Island with the paid help of youth. Their $23.47/hour internships include working with a literacy specialist, workforce development expert, and peer mentors to curate stories from community elders, activists, artists, organizations, leaders and churches. They collect both physical and digital artifacts, including capturing the voices and wisdom of generations of Rhode Islanders via oral histories, and learn everything from welding and fabrication for exhibit design to marketing, storytelling, art handling, conservation, archiving, and collections registration.
For Black History Month, for example, AAMRI presented the story of Providence legend Randall Ashe, a lifelong musician, performer, and arts administrator. The museum also has a podcast called Little State, Big Voices.
Adds West, “When youth are immersed in this dynamic environment—handling artifacts, recording narratives, and curating collections—they naturally begin to ask critical questions: How do we document this? How do we organize and share these stories? Where and how should they be preserved? Through this process, they don’t just learn history—they become part of it, shaping the legacy of Rhode Island’s African American heritage for future generations.”
In addition to the fundraiser, AAMRI is partnering with St. Martin de Porres Senior Center and The Metropolitan High School on May 7, 2025 for Wonders of the Wurlitzer, a pre-Mother’s Day Celebration of Women event, at the Providence Performing Arts Center, 220 Weybosset Street, Providence. The students will kick off the noon event with stories about Black Providence from their research and interviews. One segment will also share the inspiration of one young Providence girl who, because of the Pray Until Something Happens (PUSH) of her grandmother, found her voice and purpose. She is now a minister.
For more information about all AAMRI events, including tickets for the fundraiser and more on its honorees, go to www.aam-ri.org.
