August 2026 Teach-Ins: The Haitian Revolution & Indigenous Governments in New England

Inspired by the recommendations of the Slavery and Justice Report to “ensure a quality education for the children of Rhode Island,” the Teach-Ins were initiated in 2025 by the Simmons Center’s Manager of Education, Reina Thomas. Thomas aims to not only support classroom teachers, but also youth-based organizations, instructors, and mentors through a series of free workshops on the histories of Black and Indigenous people in New England. The workshops also provide space and training for educators to create and modify lessons on the subject to bring back to their classrooms. Ultimately, the goal of the Teach-Ins is to provide educators in traditional and non-traditional settings with resources, strategies, and tips they can implement immediately in their educational spaces.

Thomas reflects that, “when I started the Teach-Ins, I really drew from my time as a classroom educator and thought about everything I hated and wished professional development (PD) had been for me. I also listened to other educators discuss their PD experiences and used my experience, along with theirs, to set the framework and structure for the Teach-Ins. I’m just excited to see the positive response and the growing number of educators that we are reaching with the workshops.”

Following each workshop, Thomas conducts surveys to improve the structure, flow, and materials of the Teach-In. Survey feedback is also used to select topics for the next series. After the spring 2026 series, the educators requested professional development workshops on the Haitian Revolution and Indigenous Governments. These suggestions were implemented in August 2026.

The Haitian Revolution | August 10, 2026

For the Haitian Revolution workshop on August 10, educators were joined by the Simmons Center’s Director Prof. Anthony Bogues, who provided an in-depth overview of what he calls “the dual Haitian Revolution.” His talk was followed by a presentation by Prof. Marlene Daut of Yale University. Prof. Daut, while sharing her extensive knowledge of the Haitian Revolution, also provided our middle and high school educators with teaching strategies they could apply in their classrooms as they covered the Revolution.

Afterwards, educators gathered in groups to brainstorm new information and approaches they learned from the presenters. They discussed what might resonate with their students and ways to modify their presentations for the students they serve. They then began to sketch out and develop lesson plans within those groups before concluding the day. At the end of the Teach-In session the following week, two groups presented these lesson plans to solicit feedback and improve upon what they had developed.

Two people stand side by side with serious faces, examining papers they are holding — Educators examine artwork about the Haitian Revolution. Photo by Adam Mastoon.

Three pieces of paper with reproductions of colorful paintings of historic military figures. — Reproductions of artwork about leaders of the Haitian Revolution. Photo by Adam Mastoon.

A 3-ring binder with a yellow notepad and pen sitting on top. The binder page shows 4 people’s headshots and bios. — Binders were shared with educators that included primary source documents, sample lessons and other resources. This page included photos and bios about the speakers and organizers of the Haitian Revolution workshop. Photo by Adam Mastoon.

Indigenous Governments | August 17, 2026

The August 17 Teach-In focused on Indigenous Governments. Assistant Teaching Professor of Native American and Indigenous Studies Dr. Mack Scott joined us to lay the groundwork for such an expansive and complex topic. Dr. Scott also provided educators with starting points to teach their students about the government structures of Indigenous communities, specifically that of the Narragansett nation. More importantly, he encouraged everyone in the room to try, fail, learn, and try again, so that we do not assist in the erasure of Indigenous peoples, histories, and knowledge.