New Jersey Historical Commission - NJHC

06/15/2022

LGBTQ+ history in New Jersey centers stories of resilience, activism, and community building. A call for submissions and community support is now open for a statue that will honor transgender activist for LGBTQ+ rights Marsha P. Johnson in her hometown of Elizabeth, New Jersey.

Marsha was prominent figure in the LGBTQ community of New York City’s Greenwich Village where she helped homeless and struggling youth, activated around injustices such as the police brutality experienced during the 1969 Stonewall uprising, and co-founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) with her friend Sylvia Rivera.

This monument will be the first in New Jersey to honor a member of the LGBTQ community and the first of a trans woman of color. Learn more about how you can support the project: https://ucnj.org/mpj/get-involved/.

06/15/2022

Have you registered? There’s still time to sign up for tomorrow’s Virtual Book Club (6 p.m. ET) featuring “Never Caught: The Washingtons’ Relentless Pursuit of their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge” by Erica Armstrong Dunbar: https://bit.ly/nevercaughtbookclub.

And don’t forget to join us Saturday 6/25 for a special Juneteenth event featuring Beneath the Floorboards, an exhibition telling the stories of the enslaved African Americans who once resided at Marlpit Hall in Middletown, NJ: https://bit.ly/Beneaththefloorboards.

These amazing events are part of History Made By Us Civic Season. This , celebrate what you stand for, and shape what our country becomes. Get started: TheCivicSeason.com

06/13/2022

Students from Camden County and surrounding areas are invited for a free Underground Railroad Youth Camp at the Peter Mott House. The camp, scheduled for June 27 to July 1, seeks to inspire young minds about the resiliency of enslaved people and those that helped navigate the Underground Railroad. Campers will also learn about the unique history of Lawnside, NJ – the first Black town incorporated in the northeast. Applications are due June 20: https://www.petermotthouse.org/blog/underground-railroad-camp-2022/.

06/13/2022

Tomorrow at 7 p.m.! Don't miss a special look at the documentary "Rust," part of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities' 50th anniversary movie series. The program will feature a discussion with Bongiorno Productions and Purcell Carson: https://njhumanities.org/event/film-focus-a-look-at-rust-the-documentary/.

📢 What are we watching? "RUST: How to break the chains of poverty in U.S. inner cities"

📺 Where are we watching it? https://www.pbs.org/show/rust/

🧭 When are we discussing it with the filmmakers? June 14 at 7 p.m.

💡 How can you join us? All the info you need is here: https://njhumanities.org/event/film-focus-a-look-at-rust-the-documentary/

06/11/2022

This week! Branch Brook Park Alliance invites you to attend the Inaugural Clement A. Price Olmstead Lecture and Jazz Luncheon, “The Power of Parks: Using Green Spaces to Uplift Communities,” commemorating the nationwide Frederick Law Olmstead Bicentennial. The program is scheduled for June 16, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, NJ. Register here: https://branchbrookpark.org/olmsted-lecture.html.

06/10/2022

It's time to get this party in the U.S.A. started...

Join the Civic Season Kickoff Livestream, happening on June 12th at 2:00PM. Visit historic sites all across the country that have come together to celebrate what we stand for. You may even recognize a few familiar faces from New Jersey!

- - - - -
From Juneteenth to the 4th of July, we invite you to participate in the second annual . We’re teaming up with hundreds of history museums and sites across the country through , in partnership with the next generation shaping our democracy to launch a new tradition that makes room for all of our stories – and write the next chapter together.

This , celebrate what you stand for, and shape what our country becomes. Get started: TheCivicSeason.com

06/10/2022

Save the date and mark Juneteenth with an exciting line-up of activities, performances, and speakers at Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum!

Don't miss out on our exciting line-up of artists, musicians, & speakers dedicated to moving Freedom Forward! Join SSAAM on Saturday June 18 for a jubilant Juneteenth celebration:

ssaamuseum.org/juneteenth2022

06/10/2022

There’s still time to apply!

The League of Historical Societies of New Jersey is pleased to announce its COVID-19 Grant Program. This opportunity is open to current NJ residents, 18 years or older, who have received income from history related activities prior to March 2020 and experienced financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Successful applicants will receive $1,000-$2,000 and a one-year complimentary membership to the League of Historical Societies of New Jersey and the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH).

Learn more and apply today: https://www.lhsnj.org/. The application deadline is next Wednesday, June 15, 2022.

Funding for this grant program is provided by the New Jersey Arts and Cultural Renewal Fund.

06/09/2022

Congratulations to the winners of the ‘The Fierce Agency of Now’ 2022 Scholarship Essay Contest!

The New Jersey Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission holds an annual essay contest for high school seniors. Winning essays demonstrated a thoughtful understanding of Dr. King’s legacy and the urgency of issues facing their generation. Of over 267 submissions, only 10 students were selected to receive this year’s scholarship - $5,000 for the university or college of their choice.

06/09/2022

Come check in with us! There is still time to register for our second NJ History Check-In next Thursday, June 16, at 12 p.m. at Howell Living History Farm. Sign-up for this free event: https://bit.ly/HistoryCheckIn2

This program is our opportunity to check-in, share updates, and learn more about the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for New Jersey history. The Commission is also preparing for the next round of General Operating Support (GOS) grants in the spring of 2023 and is eager to learn more about how this vital grant program can be most effective in the years to come, so come prepared to share your insights and suggestions.

Bring your bag lunch! We will have beverages and some dessert to share, along with networking and conversation.

06/08/2022

Once considered the most powerful man in the United States no one believed anyone could escape George Washington – but one young Black woman did!

Connect with us on June 16 at 6 p.m. for a virtual book club discussing the book “Never Caught: The Washingtons’ Relentless Pursuit of their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge” by Erica Armstrong Dunbar. Audible has gifted us with free coupons for book club attendees to listen to the book narrated by Robin Miles (see below for details)!

Register and join the conversation: https://bit.ly/nevercaughtbookclub.

- - - - -
Ona Judge, an enslaved woman in George Washington’s household, escaped to find freedom in New England. She was pursued by an intense manhunt led by Washington. Come and discuss the story of Ona Judge and the larger themes of resilience, strength, and humanity commemorated throughout Juneteenth. The event is sponsored by the Newark Public Library and the New Jersey Historical Commission.

Please email Noelle Lorraine Williams at [email protected] to request a free Audible coupon* while they are available. You can also get a copy of “Never Caught” at your local library or for purchase in your local bookstore or online.

*Please note the only way to access it is to use your AMAZON account or create one. You will also download on the device you choose to listen to it on.

06/08/2022

Join the NJHC all this month for programs revealing the hidden stories of slavery in New Jersey and the North, commemorating Juneteenth 2022.

Bring your family for a special Juneteenth event featuring Beneath the Floorboards, an exhibition telling the stories of the enslaved African Americans who once resided at Marlpit Hall: https://bit.ly/Beneaththefloorboards.

This event will expand upon the exhibition’s narrative exploring the lives and experiences of enslaved people in Monmouth County and New Jersey at large, with curator-led tours of the exhibit, a panel of speakers, and cultural programming. Light refreshments will be provided. Stop by throughout the day on Saturday, June 25, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (speaker program to start at 12 p.m.) at Marlpit Hall in Middletown, NJ.

Register today: https://bit.ly/Beneaththefloorboards.
_ _ _ _ _

The speaker program will start at 12 p.m., but attendees are welcome to participate in tours of the exhibition throughout the day. Tours will leave on the hour at 2 p.m., 3 p.m., and 4 p.m. Please choose a preferred tour time in the program registration; otherwise, you are welcome to visit the exhibition by yourself.

Guests are invited to stop in at any time during the day’s programming. Free limited parking is available on site. The NJ Transit Middletown – New Jersey Station is located one half mile from Marlpit Hall.

Sponsored by the Monmouth County Historical Association and the New Jersey Historical Commission with support from Revolution NJ, New Jersey's planning for the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026.

06/08/2022

All are invited to join the New Jersey Historical Commission and Sankofa Collaborative on Tuesday, June 14, at Grounds For Sculpture for “New Jersey’s Historic Sites and Crossroads: A Sankofa Collaborative Workshop.” Register today: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdhjJW-K3_GMns0EfidKxs_Rj_6QV_OmPbHj4t9FVZaffpugQ/viewform.

This day-long workshop will feature keynote speaker Ryan P. Haygood, New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, and sessions discussing African American historic cemeteries, historic buildings, and emerging monuments. There will also be a special sneak peak of a new documentary The Price of Silence: The Forgotten Story of New Jersey Enslaved People.

06/07/2022

Sharing from our friends at the NJ Division on Women – please consider taking this brief survey!

The NJ Advisory Commission on the Status of Women wants to hear from you! Women are invited to share their top 3 priorities for the NJACSW at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BVHXML7 -- the info shared will help to inform the work of the Commission over the next year. Deadline is June 16.

06/07/2022

Have you heard? Next week Revolution NJ is offering a free public history workshop focused on engaging communities at your organization. The workshop, scheduled for Wednesday, June 15, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (ET), at the Historical Society of Princeton, will be led by Sarah Pharaon of Dialogic Consulting. Learn more about how you can bring different people and perspectives to the table and design programs by, with, and for members of your community. Register today: https://bit.ly/RevNJPublic1. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.

06/06/2022

Big Ideas: How and Why Should We Engage the Public?

Now playing! Check out a recording of the final panel discussion in the Revolution NJ series Big Ideas: Concepts for the 250th – How and Why Should We Engage the Public? https://youtu.be/Yhrhvk7_O6o

How and Why Should We Engage the Public? explored public history approaches to community engagement, participatory museum work, and place-making. Our featured speakers were: Ms. Meredith Horsford, Executive Director, Dyckman Farmhouse Museum; President, Greater Hudson Heritage Network; Ms. Michelle Moon, Principal, Saltworks Interpretive Services; and Varissa McMickens Blair, Founder & Executive Consultant, NOWWellspring Consulting (Moderator).

You can now view all five recorded programs in the Big Ideas series on the NJHC’s YouTube page: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMhkXBA4RtMkQxdLa8Webui3UfER6Ch0t.

This program, the final panel discussion in the Revolution NJ series "Big Ideas: How and Why Should We Engage the Public?", was recorded on May 25, 2022. "Ho...