“Do you know how many times a day I answer that question?!” Poor Ray Rickman. I was going to save this piece for next month, but I gotta help the guy out if I can. Last summer, Mr. Rickman, who runs the Stages of Freedom museum and gift shop downtown, spearheaded the effort to finally …
(12.6) A screening and presentation about two notable Rhode Island women — Sissieretta Jones and Annie Smith Peck — will be held Thursday evening at the Southside Cultural Center. This event is part of the nationwide UNLADYLIKE2020 project. UNLADYLIKE2020 is an innovative multimedia series of short, animated documentary films featuring unsung American women from the …
Celebrating Remarkable Women — Southside Cultural Center Read More »
A series of free events are planned for this weekend to celebrate world-renowned singer, Sissieretta Jones, culminating in the placing of a headstone at her previously unmarked grave. The exhibit “Sissieretta Jones: the Greatest Singer of Her Race” opens tonight at Stages of Freedom, the museum/gift shop co-founded by historian, and former Democratic state representative, …
America’s First Black Diva — Sissieretta Jones At 150 Read More »
Acclaimed 19th century opera singer Sissieretta Jones, née Joyner, moved with her family to Providence at the age of 8. She lived here on Weaton Street from 1876 until her death in 1933, although it is clear she was traveling the world for much of that time. Jones was sometimes known as The Black Patti. …