East Providence
250th Celebration
Freedom in the Fight: The 1st RI Regiment Panel Discussion
Mon, Sep 21
|Newman Congregational Church
The East Providence 250th Commission, in partnership with the East Providence Historical Society, Museum of Black Artifacts, and Newman Church, will present a panel discussion exploring the history and legacy of the 1st Rhode Island Regiment during the Revolutionary War.
Time & Location
Sep 21, 2026, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Newman Congregational Church, 100 Newman Ave, Rumford, RI 02916, USA
About the event
Monday, September 21, 7:00pm at Newman Church Hall
The East Providence 250th Commission, in partnership with the East Providence Historical Society, Museum of Black Artifacts, and Newman Church, will present a panel discussion exploring the history and legacy of the 1st Rhode Island Regiment during the Revolutionary War.
Panelists will include author Robert Geake; Narragansett teacher and writer Lorén Spears; Jason Roomes, whose ancestor Caesar Rome chose the path from “slave to soldier” in order to earn his freedom through military service; and Rhode Island Historian Laureate Keith Stokes will serve as the panel moderator.
The program is based on Robert Geake’s book From Slaves to Soldiers, which tells the story of the 1st Rhode Island Regiment, the first state regiment to enlist enslaved Black men as soldiers. Panelists will discuss the experiences of Black soldiers, the promises of freedom made in exchange for military service, and what happened to…