February 3rd, 2025- How Black People Made Rhode Island Become the First State Before the Civil War to Restore Suffrage to (Property Owning) African-American Men: The 1842 Rhode Island Constitution and Alfred Niger #VRABlackHistory #WeWillToo
How Black People Made Rhode Island Become the First State Before the Civil War to Restore Suffrage
to (Property Owning)African-American Men
#VRABlackHistory #WeWillToo
The 1842 Rhode Island Constitution and Alfred Niger
HAPPY BLACK HISTORY MONTH!
We hope you enjoy our #VRABlackHistory Series 2025 with the theme
“Facing Extremism: How Our Ancestors Successfully Fought For Our Rights and #WeWillToo”
From the Transformative Justice Coalition and the Voting Rights Alliance

Please note, if you’d like to opt out from only the upcoming daily Black History Month Voting Rights Alliance #VRABlackHistory series, please email carnwine@tjcoalition.org. Unsubscribing at the bottom of this email unsubscribes you to all Transformers, not just from this special February Series.
Reporting by: Caitlyn Arnwine (formerly Caitlyn Cobb). This article was written in 2025 with a complete source list at the bottom. Sources are also cited throughout the article.
Today, February 3rd, 2025, we are celebrating the major 1842 victory of Black activists to secure voting rights in Rhode Island. Black people in Rhode Island pulled off an incredible feat against two anti-Black administrations at the same time. From 1822- when voting rights were taken away from property owning freed Black men and after horrendous massacres of Black people – until 1842, Black men and women in Rhode Island never wavered in their fight, petitioning the government; banning together; changing public sentiment through illustrations, written word, speeches, and newspaper articles; organizing and fundraising through the Black church; attending all political events; and, engaging in acts of civil disobedience and protests– all until their ultimate goal was achieved: voting rights.
While researching for a future article of the history of Black activists that fought for homeless peoples’ voting rights, I came across this powerful story of the successful, brave effort of Black abolitionists in Rhode Island to secure voting rights. I just had to highlight this story that so, in detail, jumped off the screen with a roller coaster of perseverance; that showed so beautifully the power of Black peoples’ organizing to achieve voting rights even when everything went against them.
