‘Slavery in Boston’ exhibit opens

A new exhibit, “Slavery in Boston,” digs deep into the city’s role in slavery — and has renewed the debate about Faneuil Hall.

Protesters with the New Democracy Coalition protested the event to rename the tourist attraction named after Peter Faneuil, a wealthy 18th-century slave owner.

The two-story exhibit chronicles enslaved African and Native American people.

“This exhibit lays a crucial foundation for Boston to address our legacy of enslavement and support the healing process for our descendant communities,” said Mayor Michelle Wu, in prepared remarks.

“As we continue our work to combat racial and economic inequity, it is essential to address our past in ways that create space to process grief, uplift resilience, and repair the harm,” added Reverend Mariama White-Hammond, Chief of Environment, Energy and Open Space.

The exhibit shares the stories of the enslaved and freed people in Boston through research and archaeological artifacts found under Faneuil Hall. That includes using over 42,000 artifacts found during archaeological surveys at Faneuil Hall in 1991 and 2010 that have been digitized.