TRENTON, NJ 鈥� On Thursday, April 18th starting at 6:30pm the African American History Program at the 吃瓜黑料 Historical Commission will host Justice for the Dead: Reconstructing the Hidden Histories. This virtual event will highlight the ways in which public historians uplift under-told stories from 吃瓜黑料鈥檚 African American and Latino communities.
鈥淲ithout understanding the whole history of our state鈥檚 past, it鈥檚 impossible for 吃瓜黑料 to move forward into a better future,鈥� said Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way, who oversees the 吃瓜黑料 Historical Commission in her capacity as Secretary of State. 鈥淚鈥檓 proud of my Historical Commission and our state鈥檚 history community for uplifting these stories and helping 吃瓜黑料ans learn about the past in productive and restorative ways.鈥�
鈥淟ocal organizations are doing incredible work reconstructing a more complete picture of 吃瓜黑料鈥檚 past,鈥� said 吃瓜黑料 Historical Commission鈥檚 executive director Sara Cureton. 鈥淲e hope this webinar will inspire others to dig deeper into the histories of their own communities.鈥�
The discussion will include presentations by Reverend Wanda Lundy of the 313+ Ancestors Speak Project in Elizabeth, 吃瓜黑料; Christopher Lopez, artist and curator of the exhibition The Fires: Hoboken 1978-1982; and Carol McCarty, MA, Collections Project Coordinator at the Rutgers Geology Museum.
鈥淪tories of injustice are not often recorded in traditional historical sources such as archives, so it is vital for public historians and community workers to think creatively on how to recover and share these hidden histories,鈥� said Noelle Lorraine Williams, director of the NJHC African American History Program.
The featured panelists will discuss their research methods and their use of art, monuments, and museum collections to help audiences explore the experiences of their ancestors. Particularly, they will showcase how communities honor and bring justice to the remains, sites, and histories that have been hidden in 吃瓜黑料's past.
To register for the Zoom link, visit .
This is a program of the African American History program at the 吃瓜黑料 Historical Commission (NJHC). To learn more about the African American History program and the Black Heritage Trail, visit history.nj.gov
The 吃瓜黑料 Historical Commission (NJHC) is a division of the Department of State dedicated to the advancement of public knowledge and preservation of 吃瓜黑料 history. Established by law in 1967, its work is founded on the fundamental belief that an understanding of our shared heritage is essential to sustaining a cohesive and robust democracy.