FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 21, 2024
CONTACT
Lauren Craig
Dr. Akeia de Barros Gomes Joins Newport Historical Society
Veteran Curator and Museum Leader to Become First Director of New Center for Black History
NEWPORT, RI – The Newport Historical Society announced today that Dr. Akeia de Barros Gomes, a native of Newport whose scholarship is focused on anthropology and African American history, will serve as the director of a new center for Black History being established at the Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House. The development of this center is funded in part thanks to a leadership gift from philanthropists Edward W. Kane and Martha J. Wallace.
de Barros Gomes comes to the NHS after more than three years at the Mystic Seaport Museum, most recently serving as the vice president for the American Institute for Maritime Studies. She is a former 100 Women of Color Honoree and in July 2024 was honored with the Eva Butler Scholar Award for scholarship recovering and rematriating hidden histories of Indigenous people.
“There is no one better suited to lead this critical work than Akeia, a longtime friend and supporter of the Newport Historical Society and an accomplished curator with an acute appreciation of Newport’s history and how the stories of the Black community must be better represented and shared,” said Executive Director Rebecca Bertrand. “With Akeia’s expertise on board, the Voices capital campaign underway, and construction about to begin, momentum for this important project continues to grow.”
de Barros Gomes served on the organization’s board of directors for four years and as a guest curator for an exhibition on Black Life in Early Newport at the Museum of Newport History in the Brick Market. She was also a key advisor on the Voices from the NHS Archives project, a database digitizing and making more accessible thousands of records on Black and Indigenous history.
“Community support for a center for Black history has been overwhelming, and the fact that we have engaged someone as talented and experienced as Akeia is a testament to the importance and potential of this work,” said Doug Newhouse, chair of the NHS Board of Directors. “Akeia is deeply committed to the mission of the NHS and the vision for this center, and we are eager to see her leave her mark on the project.”
In addition to her work with the NHS, de Barros Gomes, who has a PhD in anthropology from the University of Connecticut and wrote her dissertation on the free African American cultural landscape in Newport, is an adjunct lecturer at the Ruth J. Simmons Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice at Brown University, a position she will maintain as director of the Newport center for Black history.
“Newport is my home. Its rich and dynamic history has always been a source of curiosity and inspiration for me, both personally and professionally. To be able to center my research and leverage my passion for education, programming, and community engagement all around this topic of such great importance to me and to this city is an opportunity I could not pass up,” said de Barros Gomes.
In this new role, de Barros Gomes will be responsible for building out a vision for public programming, managing community partnerships with the center, and curating both fixed and rotating exhibitions on Black history.
“As a partner in this project and someone who knows Akeia well and deeply respects her scholarship, I am thrilled to see her joining the NHS. I am confident that Akeia will help drive this work forward in a way that fosters meaningful collaboration and creates space for important conversations in our community,” said Mrs. Victoria Johnson, a founding member of the Newport Middle Passage and Port Marker Project.
Other past experience for de Barros Gomes includes four years as a curator of social history at the New Bedford Whaling Museum and an assistant professorship at Wheelock College. She currently serves on the board of directors for Connecticut Humanities.
For more information on the Voices campaign to create a center for black history, visit Voices.NewportHistory.org.
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About the Newport Historical Society
Founded in 1854, the Newport Historical Society is a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the rich history of Newport County. Our six treasured properties and extensive collections, featuring manuscripts, decorative arts, and photographs, span five centuries. We engage the community and make history more accessible through tours, educational programs, a museum, and a library. Join us in exploring and learning about our shared heritage, supported by a passionate team of historians and volunteers. Learn more at www.NewportHistory.org.