Back When We Were A Community
The New Bedford Historical Society (NBHS) presents Back When We Were a Community, a public lecture exploring the historical foundations of community organizing, mutual aid, and collective care within Black communities; and the ways these traditions continue to inform community life today.
The lecture will be presented by Mwalim (Prof. Morgan James Peters), Associate Professor of English and Black Studies at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, and Assistant Grand Historian for the Prince Hall Grand Lodge, Jurisdiction of Massachusetts. The program takes place on Saturday, February 28 at 2:00 PM at Gallery X, 169 William Street, New Bedford, Massachusetts. Light refreshments will be served.
Drawing on African American history, literary studies, and archival research, Mwalim traces the development of independent Black social and economic institutions beginning in the late eighteenth century. As free Black communities navigated exclusion from dominant civic structures, they organized their own systems of mutual aid, fraternal support, and collective responsibility; many remain active today.
Mwalim has served on the UMass Dartmouth faculty since 2003 and is widely recognized for his scholarship on African American literature, Black fraternal traditions, and cultural memory. His academic work bridges university research and public history, contributing to ongoing conversations often highlighted during Black History Month and beyond.
The New Bedford Historical Society preserves and interprets the diverse histories of New Bedford and the South Coast region, with a commitment to centering historically underrepresented narratives through public programs, lectures, and exhibitions.
This program is free and open to the public.
Event Links
Inquiries: https://go.evvnt.com/3477607-0
