Black History Month in Rhode Island highlights the rich cultural heritage and history of the state’s longstanding black community. The Providence Cultural Equity Initiative encourages residents to explore narratives beyond the typical story of struggle, focusing instead on the black community’s deep roots in Rhode Island. Key historical facts include the death of James Howland in 1859, the last known slave in the state, and the “God’s Little Acre” cemetery in Newport, which holds some of the oldest markers for enslaved and free Africans dating back to the 1600s. The Dexter Training Ground in Providence served as a training site for Colored Civil War troops, and Rhode Island was home to the first African-American U.S. military regiment, the 1st Rhode Island Regiment, notable for its role in the Revolutionary War. Early African-American neighborhoods like Hard Scrabble and Snow Town faced violent race riots, leading to the establishment of the Providence Police Department. Prominent figures include Joseph Gomes, a Negro League baseball All-Star; Dr. Raymond T. Jackson, a concert pianist and Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame inductee; Matilda Sissieretta Joyner Jones, a celebrated 19th-century singer; and Dr. Alonzo Van Horne, the state’s first African-American dentist. The African Union Society, founded in Newport in 1780, also marks a significant early black institution. These facts collectively underscore the longstanding and diverse contributions of Rhode Island’s black community.