Friends of the Howe House Holds Historic Visioning Meeting
Photo credit: Matthew Schroeder-Towe and Thallys Agostinho Ribeiro
It was like a preview of Jubilation Day for the Friends of the Howe House (FOHH)!
On March 18, almost half a year after the first rally in front of the James Howe House, we held a Visioning Meeting, at the Montclair Fire House (located at 1 Pine Street), to advance the mission of the Howe House.
That mission is to preserve the James Howe House (also known as the Freed Slave House) so that it might stand as a monument to truth, a concrete defiance against the erasure of the African American narrative, and a destination for honest reflection on the past, present, and future of the black experience.
There was an air of excitement. We had a reason to celebrate.
Phase 1 was a fait accompli. Our protests, rallies, and community gatherings had raised awareness. We secured a bridge loan and started grassroots, fundraising activities. Our team leveraged all communication channels and multiple platforms to share the story of the James Howe House---what it is, who lived there, its history, what it means to the Black community, and what it could be.
And we were just getting started!
This meeting heralded the beginning of the next phase of the development plan for FOHH.
Who came?
People were invited, and they showed up. We were grateful that so many people came out on such a beautiful spring day. We collaborated with folks from core civic groups, community partners, as well as interested citizens bringing their time and various talents as historians, genealogists, architects, racial justice leaders, grant writers, artists, educators, project managers, thought leaders, and curators.
We came together to BRAINSTORM and ASPIRE, focusing on the FOHH vision, launching a capital campaign, and the nuts and bolts of planning.
What is Visioning?
According to a definition from the United Nations:
“Visioning is a process of creating a compelling statement about what an organization aspires to be or accomplish in the mid-term (a roughly 5-year time horizon) or the long-term (10 to 20 years from now) future.”
3 Broad Takeaways from the FOHH Visioning session:
(1) The James Howe House will have multiple functions, purposes, and uses. This small house and the land around it will have a big impact on Montclair, New Jersey, and the US.
(2) It is important to link the past, present, and future together when creating a vision for the Howe House to ensure continuity, respect the past, and to broaden the reach of the James Howe story.
(3) Ongoing fundraising is the key to success. Though most current fundraising is events-based, the next phase involves scaling fundraising efforts and laddering up with grants that we are eligible for, as well as getting corporate donors and long-term sponsors.
Have you ever stood in front of the Howe House and looked at it?
What do you see?
We see the future connecting to the past. We see a community united around the concept of freedom. Together, we envisioned the Howe House as a museum, an archival space, library, healing space, educational center, and a venue for family reunions and weddings, as well as memorials. A place to celebrate holidays, have community events, and enjoy summer-night concerts.
Participants also brainstormed potential grant sources, influential people who can support the FOHH mission, and creative fundraising ideas.
There’s a Will, Now We Are Finding the Way
Perhaps we have seen you at one of our fundraisers, which have a reputation for being fun, creative, and culturally stimulating. We also have excellent merch.
Did you know there’s a Howe House craft beer?
In February 2023, the Montclair Brewery, which is black owned, released its Howe House Belgian-Style ale as part of its Black History Month beer series. The reviews have been excellent so far.
A little about the beer: The James Howe House beer has low, but noticeable, hop bitterness and aroma. Enthusiasts say that this is craft beer at its very best. You can get a 4-pack of James Howe beer here. (Don’t forget to toast the Howe House.)
For the record, the FOHH are an artsy crew. We enjoy making and and selling art for a good cause. At the Howe House Party at One River Art School, in Montclair, we painted, drew, and created digital images of the Howe House, while socializing, snacking, and raising money. It was a good time.
The #HoweHouseMatters auction/art sale on March 9, at Berkshire Hathaway, was an undisputed success, raising $3,000 (in 3 hours) and giving people a nice night out. There are several paintings left, as well as a beautiful African American quilt and a mixed-media masonry sculpture, “Headgear”.
This winter, we stayed warm in long-sleeved FOHH tees, but in March, we introduced our spring line, which includes 2 color options---black and white.
The Howe House logo is recognizable and is becoming more widely known every day. Grab a tee, so you can rock the big H. And if you have interest in tees for your children, please shoot us an email.
Check out these awesome Howe House t-shirts.
Also, we are always happy to get donations.
Thank you!
WHAT’S COMING UP…
FOHH will be hosting fundraising events this spring and look forward to seeing you there. Stay tuned for more information about the upcoming Silent Disco. Make sure to wear your tee!
Local groups involved in Friends of the Howe House include the Montclair African American Heritage Foundation, Montclair Center of the NAACP, Montclair Mutual Aid, St. Mark’s Montclair, and the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Montclair.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET INVOLVED? WE’D LOVE TO HAVE YOU!
Anyone who would like to get involved in fundraising, volunteering, or in-kind donations are asked to reach out to friendsofthehowehouse@gmail.com.
