Black History Month Craft: Jingle a Tambourine

Since we can’t gather in person for our annual Free Family Day for Black History Month, we are bringing the celebration to you! Weekly crafts available for curbside pickup, virtual story time, and more.

Our first craft for the month: Jingle a Tambourine!
Call 781-581-6200 to reserve your craft kits. Limit three craft kits per household.

Did you know that Negro Election Day is a yearly celebration that began in Lynn? Slaves in all of the neighboring towns were allowed one holiday each year to visit King Pompey, a slave owned by Thomas Mansfield, who was given his freedom in 1757. Pompey, also spelled as Pompy, was believed to have been a prince in Africa before being captured by slavers. The celebration included maidens gathering flowers to crown the king, music and dancing, as well as the sharing of stories of life back home in Africa. Today, Negro Election Day is celebrated as the annual Black Picnic at Salem Willows.

Learn more about Pompey in our upcoming exhibition “Untold Stories: A History of Black People in Lynn”.