The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) has announced that the Newburyport Black History Initiative is the recipient of a 2024 Leadership in History Award of Excellence. Now in its 79th year, the AASLH Leadership in History Awards is the most prestigious recognition for achievement in the preservation and interpretation of state and local history in the United States.
The Newburyport Black History Initiative (NBHI) is illuminating some of the community’s history that has been largely overlooked or forgotten. Directed by Dr. Kabria Baumgartner, Senior Project Manager Geordie Vining, and Cyd Raschke, the Initiative is installing approximately 11-12 historic interpretive signs in the everyday public landscape of Newburyport’s downtown core area. The project is funded by the Newburyport Community Preservation Committee and the City Council and others. The signs will center the stories of Black Americans who lived and worked in Newburyport from the pre-Revolutionary War era to the early 20th century. The videos available on this page were produced by local videographer and documentarian Dianne Steimel plus the Greater Newburyport Community Media Hub. The layouts of the interpretive signs were produced by the design firm Arrowstreet.
