Dr. Akeia deBarros Gomes
Director of the Edward W. Kane & Martha J. Wallace Center for Black History at Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House of the Newport Historical Society
Dr. Gomes, an anthropologist and scholar of African American history, brings deep expertise and a community-centered approach to this work. She is the author of No Condition Is Permanent: Risk, Disaster, and the Transformation of Society in Barbados and currently serves as an assistant professor of anthropology at Wesleyan University.
This center is an important commitment to researching, preserving, and sharing the stories that have too often been overlooked—stories of Black life, labor, leadership, culture, and community in Newport and across Rhode Island. It also creates new opportunities for public programs, education, and community partnerships rooted in accurate history and meaningful dialogue. ASWB will be making a donation to the Newport Historical Society to continue its work.