Program to mark closing of Ancestral Bridges exhibit at Amherst College

Robin Rue Simmons, founder and of FirstRepair, talks with Anika Lopes last year about the Ancestral Bridges exhibit at the Frost Library at Amherst College.

Robin Rue Simmons, founder and of FirstRepair, talks with Anika Lopes last year about the Ancestral Bridges exhibit at the Frost Library at Amherst College. GAZETTE FILE PHOTO

Staff Report

Published: 09-09-2024 10:44 AM

AMHERST — A closing celebration for the Ancestral Bridges exhibit at Amherst College’s Frost Library, on view on the mezzanine level since the fall of 2023, took place Tuesday afternoon.

Attendees discussed the future of the Ancestral Bridges Foundation and how preserving and elevating the stories of Black and Afro-Indigenous families who lived and worked in Amherst during the 19th and early 20th centuries will continue.

Anika Lopes, a former member of the Town Council who founded the organization, said the exhibit, showcasing photographs, artifacts, and documents, has brought to life the experiences of Amherst’s Black and Afro-Indigenous communities.

Lopes also calls it a deeply personal journey, connecting the past with the present.

“While this chapter closes, we are thrilled to embark on new initiatives that will continue to honor and amplify these voices,” Lopes said. “We can’t wait to share what’s next.”

Blake Doherty, who has been instrumental in curating the exhibit at Frost Library, praised Lopes and the foundation for offering a profound experience.

“This exhibit has sparked meaningful conversations and has served as a bridge between the college and the broader Amherst community,” Doherty said. “The next phase of our collaboration promises to be even more impactful.”

Intentional inclusion, as it is called, is one of the ways Amherst College is working to strengthen its strategic partnership with the town and build a stronger college community, along with economic development, public education and sustainability.

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“We also seek to partner with organizations and individuals working to create a more welcoming and inclusive town,” the college states, which has included an honest appraisal of the college’s racial history and making that history more visible.