State Leadership Education Campaign
The Providence Cultural Equity Initiative (PCEI) is raising funds and support for our "State Leadership Education Campaign" intended to properly educate our State Leadership and the Rhode Island public in general about Rhode Island's intimate and well documented history and relationship with the triangular slave trade.
The timing could not be more appropriate given that the Speaker's remarks were made on the annual Juneteenth Celebration and also on the date of City of Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza’s Executive Order to remove the term "Plantations" from all official documents of the City of Providence.
Funds raised will be managed by PCEI and directed towards (1) raising awareness about local institutions and landmarks associated with slavery in Rhode Island; (2) providing support for existing Rhode Island based programming and initiatives focused on informing and educating the public about Rhode Island's integral role in the transatlantic slave trade; (3) supporting the development of new programming, initiatives, and campaigns by Rhode Island based artists, activists, scholars, historians, and institutions to inform and educate the public about the legacy of slavery in Rhode Island; and (4) supporting PCEI's current cultural equity programming and initiatives including Rhode Island House Speaker Mattiello's participation in PCEI's Institute for Social Cohesion's (ISC) Social Cohesion Certification program, with a specific theme and focus on anti-racism philosophies.
In an atmosphere of historic social change and unrest, to ensure a bright and productive future for all Rhode Islanders, it is imperative that the State's Leadership have a comprehensive understanding of the complexity of Rhode Island's history; particularly its relationship with and role in the international and infamous triangular slave trade.
On behalf of the Providence Cultural Equity Initiative, I thank you in advance for your support of PCEI's "State Leadership Education Campaign." With your assistance and support PCEI will ensure that Rhode Island's Leadership is properly informed, educated, and prepared to effectively, respectfully, and productively represent the diverse interests and historical experiences of the many communities that have come to call Rhode Island home.
Raymond Two Hawks Watson, Founder/CEO
The Providence Cultural Equity Initiative (PCEI) is a Providence, Rhode Island based nonprofit that promotes, cultivates and advocates for the Cultural Sector and Economy of Rhode Island. The Mission of PCEI is “to steward and ambassador Rhode Island’s Cultural Sector & Economy”. The Vision of PCEI is “to transform Rhode Island into New England’s premier cultural hub”.
