FRAMINGHAM, MA — The Framingham History Center (FHC) has completed a new project to increase the accessibility of collections relating to Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) stories from 1600-1800.

The FHC contracted Mary McNeil, a PhD Candidate at Harvard University, as a Scholar-in-Residence to create a finding aid of collections relating to Framingham’s People of Color from 1600-1800.

The year long project completed in December of 2021 was funded by the Sudbury Foundation Racial Equity Mini Grant program.

The project produced a cross-collection finding aid in the form of a 16 page (.PDF) document; “FRAMINGHAM’S PEOPLE OF COLOR, 1600-1800“.

The document provides a comprehensive overview of the FHC’s collections as they pertain to the lives of 17th and 18th century Black and Indigenous persons living within and around the bounds of present-day Framingham.

“This is an incredibly exciting resource to have in our arsenal,” says FHC Curator Stacen Goldman, “The stories of Black and Indigenous people during this time period are frequently hidden or hard to find in archival collections like ours. Having a document that is dedicated entirely to these items, ensures that they will never again fall by the wayside.”

The FHC invites the public to access this new tool on their website with the goals of calling attention to these objects and inspiring research projects to further highlight their significance. It is expected that the document will expand as relevant collections are acquired or discovered, and be kept up-to-date on the Framingham History Center Website.

For more information, contact Framingham History Center, 3 Oak Street, Framingham, MA 01701, (Mailing address: PO Box 2032, Framingham, MA 01703) or phone Main Office at: (508) 626-9091 or Research & Curatorial at: (508) 872-3780 or email Stacen Goldman at: curator@framinghamhistory.org

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