February is Black History Month

ONLINE ONLY

Slavery At Morven

Morven Museum
55 Stockton Street, Princeton
(609) 924-8144 | morven.org

Please visit Morven's online exhibition highlighting the history of slavery at Morven.

The topic of human beings being treated as property is a difficult one and we aim to address it with the appropriate gravitas. Morven Museum & Garden's mission is to preserve our legacy by sharing its authentic stories. By not shying away from our story of enslaved people, we believe our visitors will have a better understanding of how our world evolved to where we are today. Much of this information has been available on our gallery walls, and in this format we can deepen the viewer's understanding by linking to source material. Research into the men, women, and children enslaved by the Stockton’s at Morven is ongoing and this site will be updated as new information is discovered.

To view this online exhibition, please see the link below: 
https://www.morven.org/slavery-at-morven

NOW - MARCH 5
Overcoming: Reflections on Struggle, Resilience, and Triumph

Arts Council of Princeton
102 Witherspoon St, Princeton
artscouncilofprinceton.org

Several days before his assassination, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. proclaimed that “We Shall Overcome”, in a refrain motivated by the hymn of the same name and the generations of Americans who fought (and will continue to fight) for justice and freedom for people of color. In “Overcoming,” artist, activist and writer, Rhinold Ponder, inspired by Dr. King, employs his mixed media paintings to provoke reflection of the resilience of Black people in a continuing struggle for recognition of their humanity and demand for human rights.

FEBRUARY 3, 7 p.m.
VIRTUAL: The Revolutionary World of a Free Black Man: Jacob Francis, 1754-1836

The Mercer County Library, Lawrence Headquarters Branch
2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrenceville
(609) 883-8294 | mcl.org

The story of Jacob Francis and his family provides us with an inside view of life in New Jersey in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries and the revolutionary changes affecting the lives of both free and enslaved Black people. Co-sponsored with The Hopewell Museum and the Hopewell Valley Historical Society. Please email hopeprogs@mcl.org to register to receive link to program.

FEBRUARY 7, 6:30 p.m.
VIRTUAL: The Harlem Renaissance: Courage, Grace, and Vision

The Mercer County Library, Lawrence Headquarters Branch
2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrenceville
(609) 883-8294 | mcl.org

The Harlem Renaissance was the beginning of an explosion in creativity that transformed African American identity and history, but it also transformed American culture in general. Never had so many people of all backgrounds read the thoughts of African Americans and embraced the Black community’s productions, expressions, and style in art, literature, music, dance, and theater. This talk will introduce you to many of the inspired artists who produced astonishing and ground-breaking works. Please email hopeprogs@mcl.org to register to receive link to program.

FEBRUARY 22, 7 p.m.
VIRTUAL: In Graves of Their Own

The Mercer County Library, Lawrence Headquarters Branch
2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrenceville
(609) 883-8294 | mcl.org

Algernon Ward, a notable figure in Trenton’s history community and President of the 6th Regiment of the United States Colored Troops Reenactors, will highlight the history of Locust Hill, the largest remaining African American cemetery in the Capital city of Trenton. Co-sponsored by Friends of the Hickory Corner Branch, Hightstown Library Association, Friends of the Hopewell Library, Friends of the West Windsor Library and Friends of the Lawrence Library. Please email hopeprogs@mcl.org to register to receive link to program.

FEBRUARY 25, 2 p.m.
INDOOR PROGRAM: Learn About the Freedom on the Move Project

The Mercer County Library, Ewing Branch
61 Scotch Road, Ewing
(609) 882-3148| mcl.org

Citizen-historians, family researchers, and others are invited to join a librarian at the Ewing Branch library to learn about the Freedom on the Move crowd-sourced database. A project of Cornell University and others, it digitizes newspaper ads about runaway slaves to provide access to the stories of self-liberating people, and may also lead to discoveries for those seeking hard-to find information about their enslaved ancestors. You may bring your own laptop to contribute to the database, or just come to learn about this unique resource. Registration required. Call 609-882-3148 or e-mail ewprogs@mcl.org with questions.