Background and Introduction
In 2017, King’s Chapel embarked on a difficult yet crucial undertaking: reckoning with the church’s history with slavery and racial injustice, and beginning the process of exploring how to acknowledge and memorialize this difficult truth. Research conducted by former History Program Director Faye Charpentier and the King’s Chapel History Program identified the names of more than 200 enslaved individuals connected to the church; building on this research, and in collaboration with the clergy, the Ad Hoc Committee on Slavery and King’s Chapel was formed.
As a church with a unique history, our history—our practice of history—is our charism. Charism is a theological term for extraordinary spiritual gifts given to us for the good of others. Different communities, like different people, have different gifts to offer the world. Our history itself, in all its rich, difficult complexity, holds up a mirror to our own complexity—as individuals, as New England Northerners, as Americans. Our practice of history, wherein we wrestle and grapple honestly with that complexity, offers a model for others to do that hard work as well.
Of course, as a church, our history begins not in 1749 with the laying of our cornerstone or even in 1686 with the founding of this congregation. We trace our history back through our sacred stories: not polished stories of perfection, but rather scriptures that speak to us of a people no less beloved of God for their imperfections.
Importantly, we focus on our history not for its own sake—and not as an exercise in self-flagellation—but as a means of living out our call as a Christian unitarian community of faith. Truth-telling, admitting our sins, accepting forgiveness, and making amends is at the very center of Christianity. We speak the truth that we profess to love for the betterment of the all that we profess to serve. In this way, animated by the spirit of Jesus Christ, our practice of history becomes a pursuit of justice. We work toward a memorial that will serve as a site for reflection, a catalyst for conversation, an inspiration for activism, and a beacon of hope. In this way, we answer the call to become “repairers of the breach” in a society desperately in need of healing.
As a church with a unique history, our history—our practice of history—is our charism. Charism is a theological term for extraordinary spiritual gifts given to us for the good of others. Different communities, like different people, have different gifts to offer the world. Our history itself, in all its rich, difficult complexity, holds up a mirror to our own complexity—as individuals, as New England Northerners, as Americans. Our practice of history, wherein we wrestle and grapple honestly with that complexity, offers a model for others to do that hard work as well.
Of course, as a church, our history begins not in 1749 with the laying of our cornerstone or even in 1686 with the founding of this congregation. We trace our history back through our sacred stories: not polished stories of perfection, but rather scriptures that speak to us of a people no less beloved of God for their imperfections.
Importantly, we focus on our history not for its own sake—and not as an exercise in self-flagellation—but as a means of living out our call as a Christian unitarian community of faith. Truth-telling, admitting our sins, accepting forgiveness, and making amends is at the very center of Christianity. We speak the truth that we profess to love for the betterment of the all that we profess to serve. In this way, animated by the spirit of Jesus Christ, our practice of history becomes a pursuit of justice. We work toward a memorial that will serve as a site for reflection, a catalyst for conversation, an inspiration for activism, and a beacon of hope. In this way, we answer the call to become “repairers of the breach” in a society desperately in need of healing.
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Report produced in 2019
Sermons: Slavery and Racial Injustice
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Featured Sermon: King's Chapel and Slavery by the Reverend Joy Fallon Preached on 10/15/17 Slav |
Recorded Virtual History Programs
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Featured Video: Uncovering and Confronting Our History: Slavery and Race at Colonial King's Chapel Recorded on 10/29/20 |
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King's Chapel and the Fugitive Slave Law
Recorded on 9/24/20 |
King's Chapel, Slavery, and the Atlantic World
Recorded on 1/7/21 |
King's Chapel and New England's Textile Industry
Recorded on 1/21/21 |
Draft Report of King’s Chapel’s Living Memorial to Enslaved People Connected to Our Church
By Cliff Allen, Living Memorial Sub-Committee Chair
The King’s Chapel Covenant states why its congregation gathers: “In the love of truth, and in the Spirit of Jesus Christ, we unite for the King’s Chapel worship of God and service of all.” Driven by this love and faith, we have embarked on a mission to tell the truth about our history with slavery within the larger context of slavery in colonial churches and in New England. We have begun to address our long history with slavery, how we have benefited from slavery, and how to acknowledge and memorialize this history of enslavement and the enslaved people connected to the church.
King’s Chapel’s vital records and other historic documents connect at least 219 enslaved individuals to the church. These are people who attended services, whose baptisms, marriages, and burials were held at King’s Chapel, and whose enslavers were church members. Likely other enslaved people remain unmentioned within the written history of King’s Chapel, and their names are unknown. We acknowledge each of the known 219 enslaved individuals recorded within the church’s history and remember those who are unmentioned.
Enslaved people at King’s Chapel experienced services and rites differently than white congregants. The Church of England reinforced enslaved people’s legal bondage through the language used during their baptisms, and King’s Chapel leaders upheld boundaries between congregants by voting to keep church seating segregated.
King’s Chapel’s place in Boston’s community today is historically rooted, and in many ways interwoven with its ties to slavery in the church’s early centuries. The existence of our building would not have been possible without money derived from the international slave trade.
King’s Chapel is just one of many institutions grappling with its history with slavery. But in doing so, we seek to better understand our past and learn from it to create an equitable and just future. King’s Chapel’s Living Memorial will reflect the mission/covenant of the church and the priorities of its congregation. It will attempt to illuminate our past and light our way to a better future, while providing a rallying point for conversation, being a beacon of hope for King’s Chapel, and a catalyst for action.
The thread running through the establishment of our Living Memorial is that of reparative justice. We seek to acknowledge the harm done by our forebears to the enslaved people who were connected to our church; to restore justice and equity in partnership with others in our community addressing the impact of slavery; and to transform lives by bringing about fundamental changes in people, relationships, and communities. Our Living Memorial might include collaboration with our Community Action Partners and historically Black congregations, scholarships and internships, a speaker series, or coordinated educational programs with Boston Public Schools.
The King’s Chapel Covenant states why its congregation gathers: “In the love of truth, and in the Spirit of Jesus Christ, we unite for the King’s Chapel worship of God and service of all.” Driven by this love and faith, we have embarked on a mission to tell the truth about our history with slavery within the larger context of slavery in colonial churches and in New England. We have begun to address our long history with slavery, how we have benefited from slavery, and how to acknowledge and memorialize this history of enslavement and the enslaved people connected to the church.
King’s Chapel’s vital records and other historic documents connect at least 219 enslaved individuals to the church. These are people who attended services, whose baptisms, marriages, and burials were held at King’s Chapel, and whose enslavers were church members. Likely other enslaved people remain unmentioned within the written history of King’s Chapel, and their names are unknown. We acknowledge each of the known 219 enslaved individuals recorded within the church’s history and remember those who are unmentioned.
Enslaved people at King’s Chapel experienced services and rites differently than white congregants. The Church of England reinforced enslaved people’s legal bondage through the language used during their baptisms, and King’s Chapel leaders upheld boundaries between congregants by voting to keep church seating segregated.
King’s Chapel’s place in Boston’s community today is historically rooted, and in many ways interwoven with its ties to slavery in the church’s early centuries. The existence of our building would not have been possible without money derived from the international slave trade.
King’s Chapel is just one of many institutions grappling with its history with slavery. But in doing so, we seek to better understand our past and learn from it to create an equitable and just future. King’s Chapel’s Living Memorial will reflect the mission/covenant of the church and the priorities of its congregation. It will attempt to illuminate our past and light our way to a better future, while providing a rallying point for conversation, being a beacon of hope for King’s Chapel, and a catalyst for action.
The thread running through the establishment of our Living Memorial is that of reparative justice. We seek to acknowledge the harm done by our forebears to the enslaved people who were connected to our church; to restore justice and equity in partnership with others in our community addressing the impact of slavery; and to transform lives by bringing about fundamental changes in people, relationships, and communities. Our Living Memorial might include collaboration with our Community Action Partners and historically Black congregations, scholarships and internships, a speaker series, or coordinated educational programs with Boston Public Schools.
Statement of Purpose of King's Chapel Physical Memorial
By Miguel Gomez-Ibanez, Physical Memorial Sub-Committee Chair
Criteria for the design of a physical memorial to King’s Chapel’s involvement with slavery:
We envision a memorial that is highly visible and made of enduring materials that will reach the greatest number of people with an important message about Christian support for freedom from oppression. It could be an interior memorial, an exterior memorial, or both. It could be representational or abstract or both.
The memorial should:
Criteria for the design of a physical memorial to King’s Chapel’s involvement with slavery:
We envision a memorial that is highly visible and made of enduring materials that will reach the greatest number of people with an important message about Christian support for freedom from oppression. It could be an interior memorial, an exterior memorial, or both. It could be representational or abstract or both.
The memorial should:
- Represent King’s Chapel as a progressive Christian UU community of faith that is the beneficiary of its historic legacy as an Anglican church, acknowledging and lamenting the racist actions of our forebears.
- Confront the traditional messages and lessons concerning freedom from oppression represented by the Freedom Trail by addressing oppression in its varied forms: racial, religious, economic and ethnic as well as political freedom.
- Make substantive use of King’s Chapel’s archives and historical materials to address King’s Chapel’s specific role in slavery and oppression, potentially including specific stories of enslaved persons, and ideally able to evolve as we learn more about our history.
- Be a tool to promote justice by being:
- A site for reflection.
- A catalyst for conversation.
- An inspiration for activism.
- A beacon of hope.
Timeline - King's Chapel's Work on Confronting its History with Slavery and Racial Injustice
2016
King’s Chapel History Program, under the leadership of History Program Director Faye Charpentier, begins digging deeper into researching King’s Chapel’s history with slavery. This research project follows prior incomplete, preliminary research and Harvard Law School’s decision to revise their crest in response to the school’s financial ties to King’s Chapel member Isaac Royall, Jr. the largest enslaver in colonial Massachusetts.
2017
In late 2016 and early 2017, the History Program creates prototypes for new interpretive signage to be displayed during tourism hours that incorporate new research regarding the role of slavery in the growth and development of King’s Chapel and Boston.
Clergy engage in conversations with History Program, seeking to learn more history about the central role of slavery in the development of Boston’s and New England’s economy.
New interpretive signage is introduced to the History Program’s interpretation in July 2017 and tours are revised to discuss the church’s history with slavery.
In Fall 2017, the History Program presents a summary of initial findings to the Wardens and Vestry of King’s Chapel, advocating for further work to be done in studying and grappling with this history.
Throughout 2017, the History Program collaborate with clergy to begin the process of engaging the congregation with the church’s history of slavery, including attending tours and events at the Royall House and Slave Quarters in Medford, and Rev. Fallon preaching her first sermons in October that share historical research about the church’s funding as it relates to slavery and the slave trade.
2018
King’s Chapel oranizes a congregational reading group of Ten Hills Farm: The Forgotten History of Slavery in the North by C.S. Manegold, which explores enslavement and complicity in Massachusetts as it relates to the Medford estate owned by both John Winthrop and Isaac Royall, Jr.
Continued research uncovers the names of over 200 enslaved women, men, and children connected to King’s Chapel. After History Program staff propose incorporating a sign in the chapel to display the names of each enslaved person connected to King’s Chapel, the clergy begin discussions about the possibility of installing a permanent memorial in the chapel to acknowledge the church’s history with enslavement.
In the summer of 2018, an Ad Hoc Committee is established to deepen understanding of the church’s history with slavery, share this information with the congregation, and discuss memorialization with the following charge:
Committee Members and congregational leadership participate in an anti-racism training focused on identifying privilege in Fall 2018.
2019
On behalf of the Ad Hoc Committee on King’s Chapel and Slavery, the History Program Director compiles a historical report summarizing her research findings in Spring 2019.
In Fall 2019, clergy and History Program staff collaborate in developing a November sermon series and post-service lectures, as well as the presentation of the Ad Hoc Committee’s report to the congregation. Throughout the month, the ministers incorporated the History Program’s research into their sermons during a 4-part sermon series, and Morning Prayer was followed twice with history events, featuring Harvard Professor Catherine Brekus and King's Chapel History Program Director Faye Charpentier.
2020
In January, the Ad Hoc Committee hosts a conversation about moving forward after Morning Prayer and gained a list of members interested in working towards both “living” and “physical” memorials acknowledging the church’s history with slavery.
In March, the History Program hosts a guest lecture with National Park Service ranger Eric Hanson Plass, exploring the life of Lancaster Hill, a free black man married to an enslaved woman at King’s Chapel, who petitioned the Massachusetts Legislature to abolish slavery.
The History Program develops public programs exploring various aspects of King’s Chapel’s difficult history with slavery, including a exploring the existing memorials in King’s Chapel and collaboration with the National Park Service throughout the year. A online exhibit exploring slavery and King’s Chapel is introduced in May 2020.
Throughout Summer 2020, members of King’s Chapel participate in protests in support of Black lives, following the murders of Black Americans at the hands of the police, including George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmuad Arbery, and Tony McDade. King’s Chapel displays a Black Lives Matter banner outside the chapel.
In Summer 2020, committees dedicated to the creation of memorials to commemorate the enslaved individuals connected to King’s Chapel regroup, following a hiatus at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021
Congregants were invited to attend two sessions to hear about the proposed Living and Physical memorials and offer their ideas, on April 15th and 29th.
Based on the feedback from the April sessions, Chair Dean Denniston reported to the congregation at the Annual Meeting in May 2021 that the Memorial Committee would continue to pursue both a living and physical memorial.
The Memorial Committee held initial conversations with MASS Design, a Boston-based and internationally recognized non-profit architecture firm, about partnering with King's Chapel to create a memorial. On November 14, the congregation was invited to participate in a presentation by the Memorial Committee and MASS Design, in which a summary of the history of the church related to slavery was presented by King's Chapel historian Faye Charpentier, a presentation was offered by representatives of MASS Design, and congregants offered their comments. (See video above).
2022
The Vestry of King's Chapel voted unanimously to enter into a contract with MASS Design for
Phase I of their work to include: hosting three congregational meetings (February 16, March 9 and
March 23) to garner input on central questions, presenting potential artists, and developing options
for memorial design to be presented for congregational consideration at the Annual Meeting on May
15. Memorial Committee and MASS Design solicited artist proposals for the physical
commemoration and selected Harmonia Rosales’s threefold design, which was presented for the
congregation’s review and comment in November 2022.
2023
On May 7 the congregation met to discuss the physical commemoration and living memorial fund
and voted to move forward with both. This vote was ratified at King’s Chapel’s Annual Meeting on
June 4.
King’s Chapel History Program, under the leadership of History Program Director Faye Charpentier, begins digging deeper into researching King’s Chapel’s history with slavery. This research project follows prior incomplete, preliminary research and Harvard Law School’s decision to revise their crest in response to the school’s financial ties to King’s Chapel member Isaac Royall, Jr. the largest enslaver in colonial Massachusetts.
2017
In late 2016 and early 2017, the History Program creates prototypes for new interpretive signage to be displayed during tourism hours that incorporate new research regarding the role of slavery in the growth and development of King’s Chapel and Boston.
Clergy engage in conversations with History Program, seeking to learn more history about the central role of slavery in the development of Boston’s and New England’s economy.
New interpretive signage is introduced to the History Program’s interpretation in July 2017 and tours are revised to discuss the church’s history with slavery.
In Fall 2017, the History Program presents a summary of initial findings to the Wardens and Vestry of King’s Chapel, advocating for further work to be done in studying and grappling with this history.
Throughout 2017, the History Program collaborate with clergy to begin the process of engaging the congregation with the church’s history of slavery, including attending tours and events at the Royall House and Slave Quarters in Medford, and Rev. Fallon preaching her first sermons in October that share historical research about the church’s funding as it relates to slavery and the slave trade.
2018
King’s Chapel oranizes a congregational reading group of Ten Hills Farm: The Forgotten History of Slavery in the North by C.S. Manegold, which explores enslavement and complicity in Massachusetts as it relates to the Medford estate owned by both John Winthrop and Isaac Royall, Jr.
Continued research uncovers the names of over 200 enslaved women, men, and children connected to King’s Chapel. After History Program staff propose incorporating a sign in the chapel to display the names of each enslaved person connected to King’s Chapel, the clergy begin discussions about the possibility of installing a permanent memorial in the chapel to acknowledge the church’s history with enslavement.
In the summer of 2018, an Ad Hoc Committee is established to deepen understanding of the church’s history with slavery, share this information with the congregation, and discuss memorialization with the following charge:
- "To recommend to the Vestry and congregation how we might honor and memorialize those enslaved individuals who appeared on our rolls, and/or those enslaved persons, known and unknown, whose unpaid labor and personhood was cruelly used to accumulate the wealth that built and maintained our building and congregational life"
Committee Members and congregational leadership participate in an anti-racism training focused on identifying privilege in Fall 2018.
2019
On behalf of the Ad Hoc Committee on King’s Chapel and Slavery, the History Program Director compiles a historical report summarizing her research findings in Spring 2019.
In Fall 2019, clergy and History Program staff collaborate in developing a November sermon series and post-service lectures, as well as the presentation of the Ad Hoc Committee’s report to the congregation. Throughout the month, the ministers incorporated the History Program’s research into their sermons during a 4-part sermon series, and Morning Prayer was followed twice with history events, featuring Harvard Professor Catherine Brekus and King's Chapel History Program Director Faye Charpentier.
2020
In January, the Ad Hoc Committee hosts a conversation about moving forward after Morning Prayer and gained a list of members interested in working towards both “living” and “physical” memorials acknowledging the church’s history with slavery.
In March, the History Program hosts a guest lecture with National Park Service ranger Eric Hanson Plass, exploring the life of Lancaster Hill, a free black man married to an enslaved woman at King’s Chapel, who petitioned the Massachusetts Legislature to abolish slavery.
The History Program develops public programs exploring various aspects of King’s Chapel’s difficult history with slavery, including a exploring the existing memorials in King’s Chapel and collaboration with the National Park Service throughout the year. A online exhibit exploring slavery and King’s Chapel is introduced in May 2020.
Throughout Summer 2020, members of King’s Chapel participate in protests in support of Black lives, following the murders of Black Americans at the hands of the police, including George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmuad Arbery, and Tony McDade. King’s Chapel displays a Black Lives Matter banner outside the chapel.
In Summer 2020, committees dedicated to the creation of memorials to commemorate the enslaved individuals connected to King’s Chapel regroup, following a hiatus at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021
Congregants were invited to attend two sessions to hear about the proposed Living and Physical memorials and offer their ideas, on April 15th and 29th.
Based on the feedback from the April sessions, Chair Dean Denniston reported to the congregation at the Annual Meeting in May 2021 that the Memorial Committee would continue to pursue both a living and physical memorial.
The Memorial Committee held initial conversations with MASS Design, a Boston-based and internationally recognized non-profit architecture firm, about partnering with King's Chapel to create a memorial. On November 14, the congregation was invited to participate in a presentation by the Memorial Committee and MASS Design, in which a summary of the history of the church related to slavery was presented by King's Chapel historian Faye Charpentier, a presentation was offered by representatives of MASS Design, and congregants offered their comments. (See video above).
2022
The Vestry of King's Chapel voted unanimously to enter into a contract with MASS Design for
Phase I of their work to include: hosting three congregational meetings (February 16, March 9 and
March 23) to garner input on central questions, presenting potential artists, and developing options
for memorial design to be presented for congregational consideration at the Annual Meeting on May
15. Memorial Committee and MASS Design solicited artist proposals for the physical
commemoration and selected Harmonia Rosales’s threefold design, which was presented for the
congregation’s review and comment in November 2022.
2023
On May 7 the congregation met to discuss the physical commemoration and living memorial fund
and voted to move forward with both. This vote was ratified at King’s Chapel’s Annual Meeting on
June 4.
New England Slavery - Books
If looking to purchase books, please consider supporting Frugal Bookstore, Boston's Black-owned bookseller.
Unfreedom: Slavery and Dependence in Eighteenth-Century Boston by Jared Ross Hardesty
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New England Bound: Slavery and Colonization in Early America by Wendy Warren
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Ten Hills Farm: The Forgotten History of Slavery in the North by C. S. Manegold
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Slavery in the Age of Reason: Archaeology at a New England Farm by Alexandra Chan
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Conflagration: How the Transcendentalists Sparked the American Struggle for Racial, Gender, and Social Justice by John A. Buehrens
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Complicity: How the North Promoted, Prolonged, and Profited from Slavery by Anne Farrow, Joel Land, and Jennifer Frank
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Black Walden: Slavery and Its Aftermath in Concord, Massachusetts
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Brethren by Nature: New England Indians, Colonists, and the Origins of American Slavery
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The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America by Andres Resendez
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Historic Sites and Organizations
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Developed by the Northeastern University School of Law Criminal Justice Task Force, Confronting Racial Injustice is a free, five-part series hosted by the Massachusetts Historical Society and sponsored by a number of Boston-area organizations, including King's Chapel. |
The following are a selection of historic sites, organizations, and museums throughout New England interpreting slavery and Black history.
Royall House & Slave Quarters - Medford, Massachusetts
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Boston African American National Historic Site & Black Heritage Trail - Boston, Massachusetts
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Museum of African American History - Boston & Nantucket, Massachusetts
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Rhode Island Historical Society, including the John Brown House Museum - Providence, Rhode Island
Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire - Portsmouth, New Hampshire
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The Robbins House - Concord, Massachusetts
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Rokeby Museum - Ferrisburgh, Vermont
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Faith-Based Resources
Social Justice and Reconciliation - Episcopal Diocese of Maryland
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Georgetown Reflects on Slavery, Memory, and Reconciliation - Georgetown University
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Resources on Christianity, Race, and Reconciliation - Center for Reconciliation - Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island
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Public Memory, Memorials and Monuments
Contemporary Monuments to the Slave Past
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International Coalition of Sites of Conscience
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Teaching Hard History: American Slavery
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Middle Passage Ceremonies and Port Markers Project
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Reparations
Anti-Racism Resources
Donate to the Memorial Project
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Secure Online Giving (powered by PayPal)
The button below will take you to King's Chapel's secure online donation page. There you may use a debit or credit card, transfer funds from a bank account, or set up a recurring gift: |
Write a Check
Please make checks out to “King’s Chapel” and mail to: King’s Chapel Parish House Attn: Memorial Project 64 Beacon Street Boston, MA 02108 Note "Memorial Project" (or the program you wish to support) in the memo line. |
Interested in finding out more about this project? |
memorial.committee@kings-chapel.org |
