With years of planning and fundraising behind them, the members of the Bristol Middle Passage Port Marker Project (BMPPMP) unveiled “Our Ancestors Come with Us,” a historic piece of art representing some of the strongest and most resilient people who ever walked in Bristol, last Sunday, August 24.

The dedication of this sculpture marks a significant occasion of reflection, remembrance, and healing in the town's history.

‘Our Ancestors Come With Us’ is a life-sized bronze sculpture created by Spencer Evans, an accomplished artist and professor at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence.

Spencer, who himself is a descendant of enslaved people, was chosen over other artists because of his deep connection to the history of slavery and its enduring impact.

“My concept for the memorial is based on the love and respect for my ancestors who endured the Middle Passage, as well as a life in bondage long enough to be emancipated, which resulted in generations of descendants being able to live and thrive on this land today,” said Spencer. “It is also rooted in the same respect for the ancestors and descendants of Pokanoket people who lived in harmony with this land before any of us.”

Founded in 2023, BMPPMP is a nonprofit organization of twelve dedicated community volunteers. The group is part of the national Middle Passage Ceremonies and Port Markers Project, which has identified 90 U.S. ports that participated in the transatlantic slave trade.

“For hundreds of years the true story of Bristol’s involvement in the Middle Passage Slave Trade has been left unspoken. It is time for change,” says Ruthann DeLong, member of the BMPPMP Board of Directors.

The sculpture’s location in Independence Park, just steps from the former DeWolf warehouse, where slave ships once embarked, is significant. It has also been designated as a Site of Memory by the UNESCO Routes of Enslaved Peoples Project.

Evans’ sculpture was not made to depict trauma. Instead, it was made to depict the strength and resilience of the enslaved Africans, many of whom were descendants of the Akan people, and the Pokanoket people who, “endured the middle passage as well as a life in bondage long enough to be emancipated, which resulted in generations of descendants being able to live and thrive on this land today.”

The life-sized sculpture features three people, a woman representing the Pokanoket, who had their families taken in the slave trade, a man to represent every enslaved person taken from their homelands and their descendants, and a young child to represent both communities' reclamation of their identity and freedom on this land.

The site where the statue now stands was originally dedicated in February of 2023, with approval from the Bristol Town Council.
Before the unveiling, a ceremony took place, beginning with singer Rose Weaver, who sang songs of greeting and peace.

“I stand before you, Rose Weaver, a vessel of songs and stories, a voice echoing through time carrying forth messages of freedom and peace,” she said.

Other speakers included Director of RWU Institute for Race and Law Bernard K. Freamon, Sachem Tracey Dancing Star Brown and Sagamore Winds of Thunder William Guy of the Pokanoket Nation, and Elizabeth Sturges Llerena and Holly Fulton, descendants of James DeWolf, a prominent historical Rhode Island figure who made his fortune through the slave trade. The representatives of the Pokanoket Nation also used their platform to celebrate the resilience of those who suffered through the inhumane conditions of the slave trade.

“They were not silent. Their memory lives in our blood,” Guy said. “Their descendants remain free and it is freedom that we are here to celebrate today.”

The idea of whitewashing history was also brought up throughout the event, with Guy mentioning the glorified depictions of native relations with the pilgrims, and Congressman Gabe Amo mentioning that certain political figures are encouraging schools to ignore history. However, Evans said that people have been trying to erase the history and culture of their ancestors, and have continuously failed due to the unbreakable spirit of the communities.

“In this monument, our children won't see the painful, long-standing image of their ancestors being driven from their home; they’ll see the unbreakable spirit of the Pokanoket people. They’ll see the unbreakable spirit and the unbreakable connection that they have with this land.” He said. “They will see that every effort to erase these people has failed.”

With additional reporting by Christy Nadalin.