T: 01842 752599
ancienthouse@norfolk.gov.uk
https://www.museums.norfolk.gov.uk/ancient-house
Saturday 15 to Saturday 29 October 2022 (closed Sunday and Monday)
10am to 4pm
Included with museum admission
Learn about the fascinating history of the African-American abolitionist lecturers who toured Norfolk during the 19th century. Find out how they played a key role in raising awareness of the horrors of slavery.
This touring exhibition was developed by Dr Hannah-Rose Murray from University of Edinburgh and Melissa Hawker, Norfolk Museums Service Learning Officer, and supported with funding from the US Embassy and the British Association for American Studies Small Grants Programme.
The exhibition builds on 2007 research into the white anti-slavery movement in Norfolk. It will focus on Black voices and the Black lived experience of slavery. You can learn about the formerly enslaved African Americans who travelled to Norfolk. Find out about their radical journey to teach local audiences about slavery, racism, and lynching.
Discover the stories of people such as: Moses Roper, Henry Box Brown, who posted himself to freedom, Ellen Craft, who escaped in disguise, and Samual Ringgold Ward, president of the American League of Colored Labourers among many others. This exhibition places the role of black activists in campaigning for their own freedom at its heart. This goes some way to redress the balance of the common narrative that tends to place too much emphasis on ‘white saviour’ narratives.
The exhibition also incorporates a contemporary response to Moses Roper’s story by Norfolk-based Black artist, Cheryl Roach. Commissioned by the project, Cheryl’s powerful work features in the exhibition.