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[Page S1071]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO JERRIANNE BOGGIS AND VALERIE CUNNINGHAM
Ms. HASSAN. Mr. President, I am proud to recognize JerriAnne
Boggis of Milford and Valerie Cunningham of Portsmouth as February's
Granite Staters of the Month for their work to bring to light New
Hampshire's too often forgotten Black history and engage communities
across our State in conversations about New Hampshire's full past.
JerriAnne has said that it took 25 years after emigrating from
Jamaica to New Hampshire for her to discover that New Hampshire had a
Black history. JerriAnne was surprised to learn that the town she lived
in, Milford, was home to Harriet E. Wilson, one of the first African
Americans in North America to publish a novel. To commemorate Harriet's
incredible achievement, JerriAnne established a nonprofit organization
to erect a statue of Harriet, which also marked the first statue in New
Hampshire to honor a person of color.
Valerie grew up in Portsmouth, where her parents were leaders of the
local civil rights movement and encouraged their daughter to explore
New Hampshire's Black history. Valerie followed her parents'
encouragement and spent years documenting African and African-American
history in New Hampshire. Valerie would later go on to create a
physical embodiment of her decades of research by establishing the
Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail in 1995, with the intent of bringing
public awareness to Portsmouth's Black history.
Today, the Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail has expanded to become the
Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire. The foundation that Valerie
founded is now led by JerriAnne, the trail's executive director.
JerriAnne is working to expand the organization's mission to other
towns across New Hampshire with the hope of growing public awareness of
the Black history that exists in every region of the State.
The Black Heritage Trail plays an important role in engaging Granite
Staters about the complex topic of race in America. To help jumpstart
these necessary conversations, the organization hosts community
dialogues, called Tea Talks, focused on discussing the intersection of
race with different facets of American life, including health,
education, and the arts. It also hosts a variety of events throughout
the year, including the Black New England Conference, held last year at
Southern New Hampshire University.
The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire brings a long overdue focus
on our State's Black history. African Americans in New Hampshire have
made profound contributions to our State, and thanks in part to the
work of JerriAnne and Valerie, these stories and achievements will be
remembered in history. It is a great honor to recognize the work of
these women and their dedication to creating a more informed,
inclusive, and just New Hampshire.
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