Lessons from the past

by Sean McCarthy

New Bedford has a more vital historical footprint than many people may realize. So with the creation of Abolition Row Park in the city’s downtown, the untold stories of New Bedford’s role in the nation’s anti-slavery movement will be documented and celebrated for tourists, youth, and community members alike.

With its formal opening on June 23, Abolition Row Park will provide visitors with the opportunity to be educated in the enthralling and important stories of the city’s 19th-century heyday – a critical period in America’s legacy of freedom.

Located at 20 and 22 Seventh Street, Abolition Row Park is situated in a historically rich district known for its role in the city’s support and advancement of Black people who were escaping the oppression of southern slavery. The park is one part of the Abolition Row District – a five-block area that stretches across Seventh Street, from Union Street to Walnut Street. The district was officially established by New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell in April.

Abolition Row Park will include a waterwall, a large gazebo, photos and documents, depictions of paths on the Underground Railroad, a children’s library and, most notably, a seven-foot statue of the iconic Frederick Douglass. Visitors will be able to enjoy a virtual self-guided tour thanks to a phone app which will be available for free. The park is located across the street from the Nathan and Polly Johnson House, which is the site for the New Bedford Historical Society, the organization that preserves and chronicles the contributions of African Americans and Cape Verdean immigrants in the city.

“Abolition Row Park will tell the stories of people in New Bedford who stood up for what was right at a very important time in history,” says Lee Blake, President of the New Bedford Historical Society. “One of the things New Bedford is known for is the involvement of the citizenry to fight for democracy for everybody.”

Funded by state and federal grants along with private donations, Abolition Row Park is being built on a pair of empty renovated lots. The site will be used for a variety of public programming including poetry and spoken word presentations, lectures and music performances.

The opening ceremonies for Abolition Row Park will take place Friday, June 23rd at 1 p.m. The day will include speeches from Mayor Mitchell, local elected representatives and poet Everett Hoagland, with an unveiling of the Douglass memorial statue. There will also be a descendant of Douglass, Kenneth Morris, who will be attending and speaking.

“Besides being an opportunity to transform a lot that was full of garbage into a green space – a city park – it tells a story of the city’s support of the Underground Railroad and the Abolition movement,” Blake says. “It creates an opportunity to have programming in that neighborhood for the people who live there and a new destination in New Bedford for people who are coming for historic preservation and tourism. It will be a great opportunity for the young people of the city to hear of how Black and White people stood up against slavery in the 1800s. It will provide a dialogue about the importance of ordinary citizens coming together around saving and assisting people in distress, and in this case it was enslaved people in distress.”

Lessons for the future

One important role of Abolition Row Park will be its ability to inspire young people to believe that their future is full of possibilities.

“The stories at Abolition Row Park are being told in the most dynamic way: public art,” says Margo Saulnier, Director of Creative Strategies for the New Bedford Economic Development Council. “It’s adding to the legacy of the Historical Society and it’s inspiring. I know that it will inspire youth and visitors and residents of New Bedford to look at our past in a new light. When I was growing up we were not taught about this rich history that New Bedford has. There are a lot of esteemed individuals who contributed to the culture of the city and their stories would have been forgotten if not for the Historical Society. For young people growing up here now, it’s important that they know that history and that there’s really so many possibilities for their futures and their careers.”

“Bringing the Abolition movement from the past to the present and helping people understand how we can still be involved in insuring racial equity and diversity and social justice is forefront in our minds,” says Mary S. Rapoza, Director of the Dept. of Parks, Recreation, and Beaches for the City of New Bedford. “One of the great things about Abolition Row Park is that it has been a collaboration with multiple community groups right from the start.”

In addition to the Historical Society, organizations involved in the establishment of Abolition Row Park include the UMass Dartmouth, New Bedford Office of Parks, Recreation, and Beaches, and the New Bedford National Park Service.

The statue of Frederick Douglass was crafted by Richard Blake of Pennsylvania, a sculptor recognized nationally for his creation of statues of Douglass and other historic African American figures, and a former President of the National Sculpture Society. Abolition Row Park was designed by Cultural Outreach Design of Boston and its construction was done by JAMS Construction of Worcester.

“New Bedford is a destination,” Saulnier says. “We want to build on our tourism and to welcome visitors to the city and Abolition Row Park will contribute to that. This park and what it represents, the stories that it tells and the permanent statue of Frederick Douglass by an artist of color, of itself is one of the reasons that it will be a big draw for tourists.”

“The Historical Society has worked with all of the school districts about the importance of Frederick Douglass and his vision,” Blake says. “But also Douglass learns the opportunities of democracy from the city of New Bedford. These are lessons we can still benefit from today.”