The shadow of the Westport brig Traveler passed over the Quaker Meeting House on Main Road on Saturday, June 13. A gathering of descendants of Captain Paul Cuffe (1759-1817), state and local officials, students and teachers from the Paul Cuffee Charter School in Providence, and local residents packed the Meeting House to honor the 250th anniversary of Cuffe’s birth and witness the re-dedication of the Cuffe monument originally placed in front of the Meeting House in 1913.
The 3 P.M. program featured praise, poetry, and song. After introductory remarks by Jenny O’Neill, Director of the Westport Historical Society, and Lee Blake, President of the New Bedford Historical Society. Candida Rose sang a rousing version of “Lift Every Voice,” written in 1900 by James Weldon Johnson (titled by Weldon as ‘Negro National Anthem’ in the event’s beautifully designed program).
“The South coast has a rich history of people of color who worked hard to have this country live up to the ideals of liberty and justice for all. The members of the society endeavor to tell the story. Paul Cuffe placed this country on the road to civil rights and mutual respect, changing our society profoundly as we journey along that road, “ Ms. Blake said.
Citations honoring Cuffe were read by Chair of the Westport Board of Selectmen Steve Ouellette and State Representative Michael Rodrigues and presented to Cuffe descendant Susan (Su) Almeida.
The Westport citation reads that Cuffe “carved out a successful career as a farmer, mariner, whaling merchant, and ship builder, becoming one of the wealthiest African Americans of his time.”
“His entrepreneurial spirit and religious faith led Cuffe to struggle against racial discrimination everywhere, to challenge taxation without representation and to envision a dream to return slaves to Africa and to create an environment for economic independence and pride amongst Africans.”
After Ms. Almeida’s welcome to the assemblage, David Burnham, founder of The Paul Cuffee School in Providence, told the gathering that the 440 student K - 8 charter school is so popular that “acceptances are by lottery rather than by choosing students by talent, ethnic or economic backgrounds. I believe Paul Cuffee (there are two variations of spelling of Cuffe’s name) would have approved of this.”
Dr. Stewart Kirkaldy, prominent former member of Westport Meeting who now lives in Vermont, spoke about Quaker History, Westport Meeting, and Paul Cuffe.
Dr. Kirkaldy recounted Cuffe’s introduction to Westport Meeting, his decision to build a school on his 140 acre property on Drift Road in 1790 to educate children, free, of any race, which may have been the first integrated school in America, and Cuffe’s vision to return freed slaves back to Africa and a life of economic independence.
Born of Kofi Slocum, an African American freed slave, and Ruth Moses, a Wampanoag, on Cuttyhunk Island, Cuffe made his way to New Bedford and eventually Westport. His entrepreneurial disposition and innate curiosity led him to learn to read, write, and navigate.
Dr. Kirkaldy cited Cuffe’s 1780 petition that the General Court of Dartmouth exempt him from paying taxes since he did not have the right to vote. The Commonwealth eventually provided equal rights in the new Massachusetts constitution in 1783. "He spoke truth to power to a degree that few others have done," Kirkaldy said.
Dr. Kirkaldy noted Cuffe’s vision to use his beloved brig Traveler to transport free slaves to relocate to Africa. As noted in the Paul Cuffe exhibit in the Macomber Community House next door, the “Back To Africa” movement, Cuffe “envisioned a triangular trade between Africa, Europe, and America, a dream that encompassed not simply the return of slaves back to Africa, but a dream for creating an environment for economic independence and pride among Africans.”
Enthusiastic Paul Cuffee School second graders Federico Martinez and Anissa Rivera read first grader Ayanna Rowe’s poem about Paul Cuffe.
After a spirited singing of “The Old Ship of Zion,” by Candida Rose, Carl Cruz (a "collateral descendant" of Cuffe), Louise Parsons, George Salvador, and Albert Lees and Laurie Robertson- Lorant read excerpts from Captain Cuffe’s letters and logs.
The crowd of approximately 200 gathered outdoors to watch Cuffe’s great, great, great, great grandson Robert Kelley place a wreath at the Paul Cuffe monument next to the Meeting House, whose construction Mr. Cuffe substantially underwrote in 1813.
With Mr. Carl Cruz singing at the head of a procession, the entire group wound its way to the Cuffe gravesites behind the Meeting House. After a moment of silence, Mr. Cruz invited descendants and others to lay flowers at the markers and invited one and all to the Macomber Community House for refreshments and a look at the Cuffe Exhibit inside.
Ms. Blake noted that the event was one year in the making and acknowledged the committee of Westport and New Bedford Historical Society members for their labor of love in organizing it.
Photos: Paul Tamburello
Photo 1: Robert Kelley (at left), great, great, great, great grandson of Paul Cuffe, asks for a moment of silence during 250th anniversary of Captain Paul Cuffe's birth. Cuffe descendants and Paul Cuffee Charter School of Providence students prepare to lay flowers at the re-dedication of the monument originally placed at the Friends Meeting House on Main Road in 1913.
Photo 2: Second graders Federico Martinez and Anissa Rivera read first grader Ayanna Rowe’s poem about Paul Cuffe.
Photo 3: Carl Cruz of New Bedford, a collateral descendant of Captain Paul Cuffe and one of the organizers of the 250th anniversary of Captain Paul Cuffe's birth. leads the group in singing "He's Got The Whole World In His Hands" while students from the Paul Cuffee Charter School in Providence look on. After flowers were placed on the graves of Paul Cuffe and Alice Pequit,the crowd gathered in the Macomber Meeting House for refreshments and to view the Paul Cuffe exhibit set up by the Westport Historical Society.
Thank you for printing the article. However, I am the great, great, great, great grandson of Paul Cuffe - not the great grandson as printed in the article.
Bob Kelley
Posted by: Robert Kelley | June 23, 2009 at 06:05 PM
Thanks for the feedback, Mr. Kelley,
I made the correction on my blog. I will try to make the correction on the story I sent to Shorelines before it goes to print.
Best regards,
Paul Tamburello
Posted by: Paul Tamburello | June 29, 2009 at 03:30 PM
Paul, it is a wonderful job. First page. Absolutely great. Thank you so much.
Posted by: Betty | December 08, 2009 at 11:16 PM