The Precious Birthright: Black Leaders & the Fight to Vote in Antebellum Rhode Island with author CJ Martin

In 1842, nearly two decades before the Civil War, Black Rhode Islanders saw success in a hostile, arduous, and nearly unfordable cultural and political landscape: they secured the right to vote. Because they would not be granted meaningful enfranchisement from the authorities, so they seized it for themselves. This maiden voyage of Civil Rights was captained by an outfit of prominent Black leadership, who had made their mark both in their communities, in their economies, and in their town halls and courts.

This exemplar of liberty is recorded and argued in CJ Martin’s The Precious Birthright. In its pages, Martin reveals the uniqueness of the movement. It was not a violent and sudden revolution, nor was it hushed dreams and halfhearted petitioning. These Black leaders had managed to conjure a perfect blend of agitation and accommodation, the likes of which marked the nation permanently, and represented the heart of their convictions: they were not brutes, nor were they weak. They were human. This often-underrepresented fight in the USA’s history is given due credit by Martin as he explores a campaign that won the joy and admiration of the trailblazers of a racially amalgamate democracy, and paved a path of inspiration and ambition for Civil Rights activists of the twentieth century.

! CJ Martin will be at the Richard I. Burnham Resource Center to discuss his book and its subject on September 18th 6:30PM – 7:30PM. The doors will open at 5:30 for a complimentary reception.

! Admission is a flat fee of $20.

! Students may produce a school ID and receive a 10$ discount. 

! NHS members are eligible for $15 admission. Learn how to become an NHS member here.