The 2020 Black Thought Series is generously sponsored by the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.
Black Thought: Black Perspectives on the Humanities
Black Thought is a new series from New Hampshire Humanities that focuses on Black perspectives on the humanities.
Previous talks in this series:
April 16, 2021
Bearing Witness and the Endurance of Voice
Presented by Shanta Lee Gander about American poet and activist Lucy Terry Prince. Watch the recorded program here. Additional resources
April 11, 2021
The Black Church Screening & Discussion
A virtual screening and discussion produced in partnership with NH PBS and the Black Heritage Trail of NH, of the PBS documentary, THE BLACK CHURCH: THIS IS OUR STORY, THIS IS OUR SONG. Dr. Tricia Peone welcomes Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire Executive Director Jerri Anne Boggis, Manchester NAACP Chapter President James McKim, and retired minister and educator Rev. Robert Thompson. Watch the recorded program here.
March 21, 2021
The Black Church Screening & Discussion
A virtual screening and discussion produced in partnership with NH PBS. Dr. Tricia Peone talks with co-producer and co-director Shayla Harris, UNH Professor Reginald Wilburn, and Rev. Lauren Smith. THE BLACK CHURCH: THIS IS OUR STORY, THIS IS OUR SONG. Watch the recorded program here.
February 8, 2021
The Black Church - Screening & Discussion
A virtual screening and discussion with Dartmouth Professor Vaughn Booker and Dr. Tricia Peone, produced in partnership with NH PBS, of the PBS documentary, THE BLACK CHURCH: THIS IS OUR STORY, THIS IS OUR SONG. Watch the recorded program here.
Wednesday, November 18 at 6 pm
Awakening to Racism as a Public Health Issue: A Historical Perspective
Presented by Dr. Yvonne Goldsberry, President of the NH Endowment for Health, who discusses current barriers to health equity as well as the impact of racism on public health. Watch the recorded program here.
November 11, 2020
Reparations, Its History & Impact: Why Now?
Presented by Woullard Lett, National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America
In this program Woullard Lett discusses the history of the movement for reparations and how it impacts us today. Watch the recorded program here.
October 21, 2020
Reading Shakespeare While Black
Presented by Dr. Dennis Britton, UNH
From W. E. B. Du Bois to Toni Morrison, African American writers have often commented on Shakespeare and his status as the epitome of literature written in English. This presentation will explore a variety of ways in which African Americans have explored what it means to be Black in relation to one of English literature's whitest authors. WATCH the recorded program here.
September 23, 2020
From Civil Rights to Black Lives Matter
Presented by Dr. Matthew Delmont, Dartmouth College
In the months since Breonna Taylor and George Floyd were killed by police officers in Louisville and Minneapolis, more than 25 million Americans have participated in Black Lives Matter protests in more than 4000 cities and towns, in every state in the country. Millions more people have joined protests globally. By most accounts, Black Lives Matter is the largest social movement in U.S. history. This presentation will explore the founding of Black Lives Matter and discuss how today's movement grew out of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. WATCH the recorded program here.
July 10, 2020
Race, Disease, and Death in 1793 and 2019: A Shocking Parallel
Presented by Dr. Kabria Baumgartner
What have we learned about racism, disease, and the civic health of our republic in the last 226 years or so? In this talk, Dr. Kabria Baumgartner provides a comparative analysis of the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1793 and the coronavirus pandemic of 2019 focusing on the plight of African Americans. Dr. Baumgartner's Suggested Reading List
Monadnock Ledger/Transcript, July 2020
Racism and pandemics: Connections go back centuries NH professors say
June 26, 2020
My Problem with White Jesus
Presented by Dr. Dennis Britton, UNH
When did Jesus become white? Why does it matter? In this presentations, Professor Dennis Britton will discuss medieval and renaissance representations of white and black skin, and consider how they have affected the way we feel about the sacred value of white and black skin today. WATCH the recorded program here.
June 12, 2020
Juneteenth: A Historical Celebration of Black Liberation
Presented by JerriAnne Boggis, Black Heritage Trail of NH
In this talk examines the true story behind the celebration of Juneteenth, how this holiday has been celebrated in New Hampshire, and why it is more important now than ever to acknowledge and honor this historic event. Click HERE to watch a recording of the Juneteenth program presented by JerriAnne Boggis for employees of Northeast Delta Dental as part of our Humanities@Work program.
Black Thought Resources in New Hampshire
Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire
Shadows Fall North, a 2016 documentary from the UNH Center for the Humanities and Atlantic Media Productions, explores Black history in New Hampshire. New Hampshire Humanities supported this work through our Community Project Grants. You can access the full film by contacting humanities.center@unh.edu.
Additional Resources
The Color of Wealth in Boston (study)
Article on reparations by Ta-Nehisi Coates
PBS documentary Slavery by Another Name
Toni Morrison on Othello
Black Quotidian: Everyday History in African-American Newspapers
The Origins of Race in the USA with Dr. Danielle Bainbridge provides a 10 minute overview of the history of the idea of race.
Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise (PBS)
Juneteenth: Fact Sheet
Talking About Race: The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture has created a new online portal with resources to help educators, parents, and individuals talk about race. Use these tools to reflect and start conversations.
