Reina Thomas develops and leads programs that connect RI high school students, educators, and the public with the Simmons Center's scholarship and resources. A Brown MAT graduate, her deep background in education and her passion for equity are key to the success of her work, which includes programs like the Black and Indigenous High School Summer Institute (BIHSI), MET in the Text, and The Teach-Ins.

Native communities in southern New England maintain a longstanding spiritual and cultural connection to their ancestral lands, rooted in traditions of stewardship, hunting, and communal responsibility. Their history includes profound disruptions caused by colonization, including disease, warfare, enslavement, and the systematic erasure of Native identity from official records. Events such as the Pequot War and Mystic Massacre illustrate these impacts. Today, Narragansett, Mashantucket Pequot, and other tribal members continue working to preserve culture, reclaim historical narratives, and uphold the resilience and continuity of Indigenous life in the region. Mack Scott, Visiting Assistant Professor of Slavery and Justice at the Simmons Center, powerfully reflects, “when I was in school, they told us that the Narragansett didn’t exist… and my grandmother’s at home, right? My mother’s there. I know that we exist, but the idea is that we don’t.”

Indigenous slavery in New England was widespread in the 17th century, with Native people captured during conflicts, separated from their communities, and sold both locally and across the Atlantic. Many were sent to places such as Bermuda, the Bahamas, Spain, and Portugal, where their identities were often erased through mislabeling and the loss of names, tribal affiliations, and cultural markers. Oral histories preserved by descendants later helped reconnect families separated for centuries, revealing ties between Native communities in the Northeast and island populations in Bermuda. Current tribal members and researchers continue to document this history through collaborative archival work, reconstructing the scale of Native enslavement and its long-term effects on displacement, identity, and cultural continuity. The reporting draws on research from Lin Fisher, a Stolen Relations Project Research Cluster Faculty Fellow at the Simmons Center, whose work documents the often overlooked history of Indigenous enslavement in New England and beyond.

Ellison “Tarzan” Brown, a Narragansett runner from Rhode Island, rose to prominence in the 1930s through his record-setting marathon performances. His athletic achievements brought significant visibility to the Narragansett Tribe at a time when official policies and records attempted to erase Indigenous identities. Brown’s story highlights longstanding Native running traditions, the impact of racial discrimination in New England, and the role his victories played in countering “paper genocide” and affirming the continued presence of the Narragansett people. His legacy endures through annual races held in his honor and the broader recognition of Indigenous resilience in the region. The story highlights analysis by Mack Scott, a Visiting Assistant Professor of Slavery and Justice at the Simmons Center, who provides historical context on Tarzan Brown’s impact and the visibility it brought to the Narragansett Tribe.

Opening November 15 at Overlap Gallery, "Forging Freedom: Atlantic Journeys" brings together ten contemporary artists to explore Black and Indigenous histories of freedom-making across the Atlantic world. Curated by Simmons Center Adjunct Lecturer in Slavery and Justice Dr. Akeia de Barros Gomes, director of the Newport Historical Society’s Edward W. Kane and Martha J. Wallace Center for Black History, the show reclaims untold stories through art, creativity, and community. The Center for Black History is set to open on Juneteenth 2026. The exhibition runs through December 20, with a curator talk on December 6 at 5pm.

Now on view at the Ruth J. Simmons Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice, the Unfinished Conversation Series exhibition invites visitors to engage with stories from descendants of the enslaved and colonized. Drawing from a global archive of more than 150 interviews recorded across eight countries, the project sheds light on how the enduring impacts of slavery and colonialism continue to shape lives today.

At Brown University, Ph.D. Simmons Center Race, Slavery, Colonialism and Capitalism Graduate Fellow Arlin Hill is reimagining how culture, power, and identity intertwine. Drawing on the Black Radical Tradition and inspired by thinkers like Sylvia Wynter and Cedric Robinson, Hill examines how colonial assumptions embedded in Western thought shape behavior and self-perception. His work bridges disciplines to uncover the deep connections between race, gender, and capitalism — and to imagine new modes of resistance. Through public panels and community dialogue, Hill invites others to reflect on how social realities are formed, sustained, and transformed.

At the Mystic Seaport Museum, "Entwined" honors the deep-rooted connections between Black and Indigenous communities. Part of the Reimagining New England Histories project and funded by a Mellon Just Futures grant, this exhibition takes visitors on a journey through centuries of interrelated Black and Indigenous traditions of seafaring and artmaking, revealing oft-ignored histories.

Brown professor Elena Shih spent years embedded in anti-trafficking organizations across Thailand and China, expecting to document the rescue of sex slavery victims. Instead, her award-winning research revealed a troubling reality: many "rescued" women were never trafficked at all, the rehabilitation programs often caused more harm than good, and the lucrative "slave-free" products sold to well-meaning Americans were built on a carefully crafted narrative that had little to do with what these women actually needed. Her findings challenge the entire anti-trafficking industry and raise uncomfortable questions about who really benefits from the business of rescue.

Simmons Center Slavery & Finance Research Cluster Fellow, and Simmons Center Faculty Advisory Board Member, Seth Rockman’s latest book, Plantation Goods: A Material History of American Slavery, has earned widespread acclaim, including recognition as a 2025 Pulitzer Prize finalist in history. The book, more than 15 years in the making, examines the everyday objects—like shoes, cloth, and tools—produced in New England and shipped south to sustain the economy of slavery. By analyzing these artifacts and even recreating some through hands-on weaving, Rockman uncovers how such goods connected Northern industry to Southern bondage, embodying both opportunity and oppression.

The Simmons Center welcomes a new cohort of six Public Humanities MA Students to campus in the fall of 2025. This cohort is expected to graduate in 2027.

“The Tally” (Voyage of the Slaving Brig Sally 1764–1765) and “Voices from the Middle Passage” are now part of the Simmons Center’s permanent collection and are on view at the Center after being generously donated by the artist, Pamela Pike Gordinier.

In July 2025, we welcomed 15 High School students for a week of learning, reflection, and community-building focused on the often-untold histories of Black and Indigenous peoples in New England. Brown’s Simmons Center, NAISI, and the Tomaquag Museum led courses on the 13th Amendment and The War for the Dawnland, with guest speakers and space to reflect on these important stories.

Newport, Rhode Island, is often celebrated for its Gilded Age mansions and seaside charm, but the city also has a rich and enduring Black history. The latest season of HBO’s The Gilded Age highlights Newport’s thriving 19th-century Black community, exploring the lives of property owners, entrepreneurs, and socially prominent families whose stories have often been overlooked. Historians and consultants for the show draw on primary sources to illuminate how Black Newporters shaped the city’s social, cultural, and economic life during this transformative period.

In 2024, the Human Trafficking Research Cluster marked major milestones: launching a new book on sex worker health in Rhode Island, continuing collaborative research with Red Canary Song, and preparing to debut “Liberation Atlas,” a digital map of policing violence against Asian massage workers in NYC.

The Race, Medicine, and Social Justice Cluster reflects on a year of impactful scholarship and the profound loss of Dr. Lundy Braun. Co-led by Dr. Braun and Dr. Taneisha Wilson, the Cluster advanced critical work on racism in medicine and will continue to honor Dr. Braun’s legacy through ongoing events, research, and transformative public health advocacy.

The Mass Incarceration Punishment in America Research Cluster explored the roots and impact of mass incarceration, emphasizing race and anti-Black racism. In 2023–2024, it hosted author talks, live oral histories with formerly incarcerated individuals, and built an archive centering incarcerated voices through its Mass Incarceration Lab.

In its first year, the Slavery’s Financial History Research Cluster gathered Brown scholars to explore how slavery shaped global finance. Through guest lectures and collaborative discussions, the group emphasized "following the money" as key to uncovering new insights into slavery’s role in modern economic systems.

In 2023–2024, the Carceral State Reading Group served as a vital space for dialogue on captivity and repression, engaging with local and global crises. Anchored by Brown’s acquisition of Mumia Abu-Jamal’s archive, the group hosted a public symposium exploring resistance, political imprisonment, and organizing, with lasting materials now available for continued learning and action.

Simmons Center Walking Tour Guide Traci Picard and Simmons Center 2023 Heimark Artist in Residence Renée Elizabeth Neely-TANNER have both been involved the the First Unitarian Church of Providence’s mission to search for truth behind its involvement in slavery.

Every year, distinguished Brown scholars are nominated for Research Achievement Awards by their colleagues for conducting exceptional and transformative research. Amongst the 2025 selection is Manning Assistant Professor of American Studies and Simmons Center Fellow Elena Shih.