[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 30 (Thursday, February 13, 2020)]
[Senate]
[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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