A commemoration of Juneteenth included an event to celebrate the placement of the first of two planned slave history medallions in town at the Linden Place Museum, a mansion built in Bristol in the 19th century by General George DeWolf, a prominent merchant and slave trader. The second marker will be placed at the DeWolf Tavern on June 21st. Click here for a 92-minute video of the event. Click here for the AP Channel 10 news article. Click here for a short Channel 10 news video of the event.

Margaret and Charles Roberts pose for a photo with the medallion that will be placed at the Museum along with markers that have been placed at Smith’s Castle in North Kingston, Bowen’s Wharf in Newport, and Patriot’s Park in Portsmouth. (Above, right) Harry and Lee Edmonds of the Pokanoket Tribe pose for a photo prior to the start of the event during which they performed a traditional dance.

Pokanoket Sagamore William “Winds of Thunder” Guy and Sachem Tracey “Dancing Star” Brown address those gathered for the celebration which featured drumming by the Eastern Medicine Singers and African drumming and dancing.

(Above, left) Chief Daryl “Black Eagle” Jamieson, left, listens as Charles Roberts speaks with Herbert “Shining Star” Tilson, Sagamore William “Winds of Thunder” Guy, Jeffrey “Fire Hawk” Wright, and Sachem Tracey “Dancing Star” Brown. (Above, right) Lee “Braveheart” Edmonds, top left, the Sagamore and the Sachem join the Eastern Medicine Singers in a drumming.

(Above, left) Rhode Island Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, Governor Dan McKee and General Treasurer Seth Magaziner applaud the performances. (Above, right) the program concluded with a musket salute by the 1st Rhode Island Regiment. The event also marked the recent designation by the Federal Highway Administration of Rhode Island’s first National Scenic Byway, which runs six miles through Bristol and is known as the “Revolutionary Heritage Byway“