Recently-Surfaced & Historically-Significant Documents of Local Black History to be discussed.
Author and historian, Deirdre Sinnott, is set to help celebrate the annual Juneteenth Events with presentation on the discovery of these documents. The event will be Wednesday, June 18th, 2025,at the Rome Historical Society. The program begins at 5:30 p.m.
The Oneida County Freedom Trail Committee was made aware that the local antique shop, Turin Road Treasures, had purchased a small cache of one hundred-and thirty-six-year-old original documents from 1889. “The papers are the minutes of the business meeting for Grace Union A. M. E. Church in Rome. Regular meetings over the year are summarized. Included was a precious list of founding members of the church which was the first organized African American church in Rome and has endured over decades of challenges,” said Sinnott.
“To have a view into the workings of such an early church helps fill out the picture of the people, who labored to have their own sacred space in which to worship, and the period which was well before the modern Civil Rights movement. But the condition of the pages is perilous and we need to preserve them correctly so that they can teach future generations of the ambitions of early Black Romans in Oneida County.
“My thanks goes out to Donna Piekarski of Turin Road Treasures who recognized their unique qualities,” said Sinnott.
The event is free, and seating is first come first served.
Also check out other Meetups in Rome, Arts events in Rome, Literary Art events in Rome.
