Witness Stones Project

The Witness Stones Project is an educational initiative whose mission is to restore the history and honor the humanity of the enslaved individuals who helped build our communities.

The Project provides local archival research, professional teacher development, a classroom curriculum, and public programming to help students discover and chronicle the local history of slavery. The final component of the work in each community is the placement of Witness Stone Memorials™ that honor enslaved individuals where they lived, worked, or worshiped.

About Witness Stones: Kingston

In an effort to join the worldwide movement of people and organizations seeking to be honest with ourselves and tell a more accurate story of the role of race in our history and society, Kingston Congregational Church embarked on a partnership with the Witness Stones Project, Inc. to research and install the first Witness Stones in Rhode Island. We see this as a way to account for our church’s intimate connection with the history of slavery in our location and a way to advance the conversation of racial justice in our time.

If you have any questions please call the church (401) 783-5330 or call the office at: Office@kingstonucc.org

Witness Stones Project Kickoff

As kickoff to the first Witness Stones Project in Rhode Island we were pleased to welcome renowned historian and scholar, Dr. Christy Clark-Pujara, author of Dark Work: the Business of Slavery in Rhode Island and Professor of History and the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of African American Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Dennis Culliton, MAT, Founder and Executive Director of The Witness Stones Project, Inc. Dr. Clark-Pujara spoke to us about Rhode Islanders’ extensive involvement in the slave trade.

The Big Business of Slavery in Little Rhode Island
Dr. Christy Clark-Pujara, March 4, 2023 - Part One
The Big Business of Slavery in Little Rhode Island
Dr. Christy Clark-Pujara, March 4, 2023 - Part Two
The Big Business of Slavery in Little Rhode Island
Dr. Christy Clark-Pujara, March 4, 2023 - Part Three

About Our Partners

The Compass School (Kingston) administration and faculty eagerly accepted the invitation to join Kingston Congregational Church in our local Witness Stones Project. Middle school aged students and their teachers join participants of many ages from Kingston Congregational Church and the wider community in learning about the history of slavery in Rhode Island, the lives of specific enslaved individuals and in installing a permanent memorial (Witness Stones) in commemoration to these individuals.

Our Mission: Love First!

The Mission Statement of the Kingston Congregational Church is very simple: “Following Jesus, we will LOVE FIRST. Love God, love people, love the world.”

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KINGSTON CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
2610 Kingstown Rd., Kingston, RI 02881
Phone: (401) 783-5330
Email: office@kingstonucc.org