Royall House & Slave Quarters

06/29/2026

Please join us for our fourth annual Reading Frederick Douglass Together program on the museum grounds in Medford on Saturday, July 4th. 

Thanks to generous funding from Mass Humanities, we invite community members to gather on the lawn in front of the historic Slave Quarters building to read/listen to Douglass' "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" to honor the long history of Black activism, critique, and abolition. 

As always, we will have food, ice cream, and a drum circle with Akili Jamal Haynes.  After the event, we invite community members to take a tour of the museum! 

This event is co-sponsored by the Mystic Valley NAACP, The Mystic Project, Justflix, and the Network for Social Justice! 

How to Participate: 
This in-person event is free and open to all! Doors open at 11:30 AM.

06/11/2026

We are just two days away from our symposium: "Land/Mark: A Symposium on Enslavement, Resistance and the Revolution," at the Cambridge Public Library Lecture Hall from 11am to 3pm! 

This symposium explores the story of Mark, Phillis and Phebe, three enslaved people punished in 1755 for fatally poisoning their enslaver, John Codman, in order to break free from slavery. The case was so well known that 40 years later, Paul Revere used the location of Mark’s body as a landmark when describing his famous 1775 ride. Today, their history is unmarked. How should we remember Mark, Phillis and Phebe? And how can we reclaim stories of Black life, resistance and rebellion?

Below is the schedule of events for the day!

10:45 AM - Arrive at Cambridge Public Library Lecture Hall
11:00 AM – Opening Remarks, Kyera Singleton
11:15 AM – Keynote Address, Kellie Carter Jackson
12:00 PM -- Panel One: “Political, Legal and Family History and Enslavement in Revolutionary Boston” with Aabid Allibhai, Jaimie Crumley and Dan Breen; moderated by Kendra Field. 
1:00 PM – 45-minute break with refreshments
1:45 PM – Panel Two: “Memorialization and Storytelling: Remembering Mark, Phillis and Phebe” with Ifé Franklin, Dell M. Hamilton, Angela M. Counts; moderated by Kyera Singleton. 
2:55 PM – Closing, Stephanie Marlin-Curiel (Somerville Museum)

If you have not done so already, remember to register at the link in our bio! 

This program is made possible by a grant from Mass Humanities, which provided funding through the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC). It is presented by the Royall House & Slave Quarters and the Somerville Museum in partnership with History Cambridge, Cambridge Public Library, Cambridge Black History Project, Old North Illuminated and the Somerville Department of Racial and Social Justice.

04/13/2026

“Cloth the body, dress the mind is the legacy I leave behind.” Dapper Dan

The durag is one of the most iconic and recognizable hair coverings worn by Black people across the world to not only protect their hair but also as a fashion accessory that symbolizes Black style, creativity, and pride. In May, join us for two workshops to learn about the history of the durag, the history of Black hair care from slavery to the present, and get the chance to make a durag of your own.

As part of the workshop, you will learn how to dye and sew your own silk durag!

Leading the workshops is our renowned Artist-in-Residence Stephen Hamilton. During the first workshop, Anthony olubunmi Akinbola , an internationally renowned visual artist, who is known for his use of durags in his artwork will join us as a special guest on May 2nd and 3rd. This will be the beginning of an exciting partnership between Anthony, Stephen, and the Royall House and Slave Quarters (more information to come soon :)

Come be in fellowship with us!

Dates:

May 2nd and 3rd from 1-4pm (with Anthony olubunmi Akinbola)

May 23rd and 24th from 1-4pm

The Durags and Headscarf Workshop is part of the Reclaiming Our Hands, Reclaiming Our Histories Initiative at the Royall House and Slave Quarters, which is an art and education initiative to reclaim the traditions of our ancestors that shape our culture.

All materials are provided and light refreshments will be served!

Please email [email protected] to reserve your spot!

10/10/2024

Today! We look forward to seeing you tonight at the Medford Public Library at 6pm!

We are thrilled to partner with the Medford Public Library to host Mike Curato to speak about his award winning book, Flamer.

When: Thursday, October 10th 2024 6-8pm; Medford Public Library, 111 High Street, Medford, Mass.

About the Book:
Set in 1995 at a Boy Scouts summer camp, Flamer, tells the story of Aiden, a 14 year old who is on a journey of figuring himself and his sexuality out. As he struggles to understand his first crush on a boy, he is also navigating changing schools and being bullied for being Filipino, effeminate, his weight, and not playing sports.

Semi-autobiographical, Curato’s courageous book was met with controversy, topping many banned book lists. Join us in an engaging and thoughtful discussion where we discuss the importance of telling q***r and BIPOC stories.

Joining Curato in conversation is Dr. Mary Amanda McNeil. Mary is a Mellon Assistant Professor in the Department of Studies in Race, Colonialism, and Diaspora at Tufts University. Her research and teaching sit at the intersections of Black studies; Native American and Indigenous studies; Afro-Native studies; women, gender, and sexuality studies; social history; and geography. McNeil completed her PhD in American studies at Harvard University.

There will be light refreshments provided by Boukan’nen!

Register Here: https://medfordlibrary.org/event/author-visit-from-mike-curato/

10/09/2024

Get to know Mike Curato with this short interview for PEN America.

And be sure to join us and the Medford Public Library to hear Mike Curato speak about his award winning book, Flamer.

When: Thursday, October 10th 2024 6-8pm; Medford Public Library, 111 High Street, Medford, Mass.

Joining Curato in conversation is Dr. Mary Amanda McNeil. Mary is a Mellon Assistant Professor in the Department of Studies in Race, Colonialism, and Diaspora at Tufts University.

We look forward to seeing everyone on Thursday!

Mike Curato's Flamer was one of the most banned books in the first half of the 2022-2023 school year. What he says gets lost in the drive to mislabel it as p...

10/03/2024

We are thrilled to partner with the Medford Public Library to host Mike Curato to speak about his award winning book, Flamer.

When: Thursday, October 10th 2024 6-8pm; Medford Public Library, 111 High Street, Medford, Mass.

About the Book:
Set in 1995 at a Boy Scouts summer camp, Flamer, tells the story of Aiden, a 14 year old who is on a journey of figuring himself and his sexuality out. As he struggles to understand his first crush on a boy, he is also navigating changing schools and being bullied for being Filipino, effeminate, his weight, and not playing sports.

Semi-autobiographical, Curato’s courageous book was met with controversy, topping many banned book lists. Join us in an engaging and thoughtful discussion where we discuss the importance of telling q***r and BIPOC stories.

Joining Curato in conversation is Dr. Mary Amanda McNeil. Mary is a Mellon Assistant Professor in the Department of Studies in Race, Colonialism, and Diaspora at Tufts University. Her research and teaching sit at the intersections of Black studies; Native American and Indigenous studies; Afro-Native studies; women, gender, and sexuality studies; social history; and geography. McNeil completed her PhD in American studies at Harvard University.

There will be light refreshments provided by Boukan’nen!

Register Here: https://medfordlibrary.org/event/author-visit-from-mike-curato/

07/03/2024

Please join us for our second annual "Reading Frederick Douglass Together" program on the museum grounds in Medford on Thursday, July 4 from 11am-2pm. This in-person program is free and open to all.

We've received a generous grant for this program from Mass Humanities with funding made possible by the Mass Cultural Council.

We invite community members to gather on the lawn in front of the historic Slave Quarters building to read/listen to "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?," Douglass's fiery 1852 speech, to honor the long history of Black activism, critique, and abolition.

Scholar/activist David Harris will launch the reading, then invite community members to read sections of the speech. A drum circle with Akili Jamal Haynes will close out the program.

After the event, we invite community members to an open house inside the Royall House and the Slave Quarters. We will also have light refreshments: ice cream from Colleen's and Haitian patties from Boukan'nen!

This event is co-sponsored by the Mystic Valley Area NAACP, The Mystic Project, Justflix, and the West Medford Community Center.

Please note: If you can’t make it on the fourth, our friends at the West Medford Community Center will also be holding a reading on Saturday, July 6 at 2pm. In addition to the reading, there will be music and poetry.

06/29/2024

Come to the Royall House & Slave Quarters next Thursday, July 4th from 11am-2pm for the “Reading Frederick Douglass Together” program at the museum. The event is free, and all are welcome for the community reading of the 1852 speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” as well as a drum circle, open house, and light refreshments.

If you can’t make it on the fourth, the West Medford Community Center will also be holding a reading on Saturday, July 6 at 2pm! In addition to the reading, there will be music and poetry.

06/21/2024

Please join us for our second annual "Reading Frederick Douglass Together" program on the museum grounds in Medford on Thursday, July 4 from11am-2pm.

This in-person program is free and open to all.

We've received a generous grant for this program from Mass Humanities with funding made possible by the Mass Cultural Council.

We invite community members to gather on the lawn in front of the historic Slave Quarters building to read/listen to "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?," Douglass's fiery 1852 speech, to honor the long history of Black activism, critique, and abolition.

Scholar/activist David Harris will launch the reading, then invite community members to read sections of the speech. A drum circle with Akili Jamal Haynes will close out the program.

After the event, we invite community members to an open house inside the Royall House and the Slave Quarters. Light refreshments will be provided.

06/13/2024

We're grateful to the Mass Cultural Council, MassDevelopment, and the Commonwealth for this grant, and also to Preserve Medford for generous support from our museum's home community.

Special thanks to Governor Maura Healey for her ongoing capital investment in arts and culture.

These funds will enable us to replace the Royall mansion's aging asphalt roof with period-appropriate cedar shingles, to better share the long history of slavery in colonial Massachusetts.

88 Cultural Organizations Receive Grants for Facility Projects; Awards Celebrated at the Children’s Museum in Easton