Stages of Freedom to Close Providence Museum and Bookstore

Stages of Freedom’s headquarters at 10 Westminster St. in Providence as seen in 2022. (Photo by Lauren Clem)

Stages of Freedom, the Providence-based nonprofit known for its downtown museum and bookstore as well as its swim empowerment program providing free swim lessons for low-income youth, is closing its brick-and-mortar location.

The organization announced the closure this week in a letter from its board of directors. According to the letter, the location at 10 Westminster Street will close on Sunday, June 14, after the building was sold to a new owner.

“Many of you know that founders Ray Rickman and Robb Dimmick have dedicated more than forty years to this work and to preserving and sharing Black history and culture. That work will continue,” board members write in the letter.

Stages of Freedom was founded in 2016 to share the stories of Rhode Island’s African American community while enhancing the lives of its young people through programming. The Westminster Street location, opened in 2017, supports the organization’s programs through book sales. In recent years, it has also served as a museum with educational exhibits about prominent figures in Rhode Island’s Black history, such as opera singer Sissieretta Jones and artist Edward Mitchell Bannister.

According to the announcement, the organization plans to continue its signature swim empowerment program providing free swim lessons for low-income youth. The program was founded by Stages of Freedom co-founder and executive director Ray Rickman to address the disparity in drowning rates between Black children and white children. According to the CDC, Black children between the ages of ten and fourteen are 7.6 times more likely to drown in a pool than white children of the same age. The program provides free swim lessons for youth through partnerships with local YMCA branches.

“In the coming years, Stages of Freedom will place greater emphasis on strengthening and sustaining our donor base while expanding support for our signature Swim Empowerment program, whose costs and demands have continued to grow,” the announcement says.

The organization will also continue coordinating events, including an upcoming concert at the First Baptist Church in America on Oct. 25 being presented as part of the state’s 250^th anniversary celebrations.

Rickman and program director Robb Dimmick co-founded Stages of Freedom in 2016 after long careers highlighting Rhode Island’s African American history. Rickman, a former state representative and longtime activist, and Dimmick, a theater professional and educator, saw the organization as an opportunity to combine the arts, history and educational programs to elevate the state’s communities of color.

“As program director Robb Dimmick once said, ‘Stages of Freedom is an important name because it can be looked at in two ways. That is the stage that we perform on. It’s also the stages that we try to achieve. And we’re constantly struggling for that, and rising to a new stage, a better level, we hope,’” the announcement notes.

It continues: “With the closing of the museum and bookstore, we are entering a new phase of operation. Executive Director Ray Rickman has described Stages of Freedom as ‘a teaching museum,’ and that mission will not change. We will continue answering your questions, sharing stories, hosting events and highlighting the lives and contributions of extraordinary African Americans.”

The organization’s board of directors consists of President Cheryl Jordan, Secretary Rafael Adames, Treasurer Constance Jordan and members Miguel Youngs and Giovanni Del Los Santos. Both Rickman and Dimmick are past recipients of Rhode Island Monthly’s Christiana Carteaux Bannister Award recognizing individuals who promote diversity and advance equity in Rhode Island.

Stages of Freedom is located in the historic Merchants Bank building in downtown Providence. The building was listed for sale for an undisclosed price earlier this year.