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.

Historian Mack Scott, Visiting Assistant Professor of Slavery and Justice at the Simmons Center, describes himself as an “actualist.” His varied research interests share a common thread—mending ruptures in the fabric of dominant historical narratives through stories that have been neglected or erased. His goal is a more complete history—one that strives to document what actually happened.

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.

Taneisha Wilson reflects on the passing of Professor Lundy Braun

Hosted by the Simmons Center and NAISI, "In Conversation" brought together Black and Indigenous scholars, educators, and community historians for two days of dialogue on teaching and preserving these intertwined histories. The symposium fostered collaboration across disciplines and communities, centering knowledge sharing, listening, and learning.

The Simmons Center hosted a book launch for The Imagined New (or what happens when History is a Catastrophe?), edited by Anthony Bogues, Leora Farber, Zamansele Nsele, and Surafel Wondimu Abebe. Panelists Brian Meeks, Lindsay Caplan, and Geri Augusto joined Bogues for a discussion moderated by Philip Gould, exploring art’s power to challenge history and reimagine the African Diaspora’s futures.

The Reimagining New England Histories Curriculum Committee is developing free, inclusive lesson plans that center Black and Indigenous experiences across the Dawnland. Supported by the Simmons Center, the team is creating an interactive website to make these resources accessible to educators and aligned with state standards.

The Chair of the Advisory Council, Spencer Crew, reflects on a landmark year for the Simmons Center—honoring Ruth Simmons through the Center’s renaming, supporting a new MA in Integrative Studies, and celebrating a major international exhibition with the Smithsonian while highlighting the Council’s deepening role in advancing the Center’s mission.

Donnamarie Barnes, Director of History & Heritage at Sylvester Manor—the most intact plantation remnant north of Virginia—joined the Simmons Center to explore how stories of the land and its people are uncovered and reimagined through photography, storytelling, and preservation at this historic Long Island site.

At UNESCO’s request, the Simmons Center is leading a global project mapping anti-Black racism. After two years of collaboration with scholars and activists across Africa and the Caribbean, the project’s Steering Committee met at Brown in March 2024 to finalize the report, slated for publication in late 2025.

In May 2024, a research update on Archives of Slavery and Justice shared new findings on the free and enslaved laborers who built Brown University. Drawing on the Brown Family Business Records, the project reexamines archival materials to uncover names, relationships, and stories that reshape our understanding of the university’s early history.

For Patricia Santos, the Reimagining New England Histories Professional Learning Opportunity was more than professional development, it was a call to teach for justice. Through collaboration with the Curriculum Committee, she helped refine lessons that center Indigenous histories and contributions, ensuring that truthful, inclusive narratives reach classrooms year-round.