Plymouth 250th Committee to Commemorate Black Revolutionary War Veterans
Parting Ways Cemetery & History Site, 287 Plympton Road, Plymouth, MA
Sunday, October 18th, 1 pm
Followed by a Public Reception at Pilgrim Hall Museum, 75 Court Street, Plymouth MA
The Town of Plymouth 250th Commemoration Committee invites the public to attend a special observance at the Parting Ways Cemetery and Historic Site on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at 1 pm, highlighting the vital role of Black soldiers from Plymouth in the American Revolution during this 250th anniversary year of the Declaration of Independence.
Parting Ways was established in the years surrounding the Revolution by Black veterans who had served in the American cause and who made homes for themselves and their families at this remote crossroads in West Plymouth. The settlement developed into an independent Black community that endured for generations, and today the site stands as an important reminder of the service of Black Revolutionary War veterans and the lives they and their descendants built after the war.
The October 18 ceremony will feature local speakers, an honor guard from American Legion Post 40 of Plymouth, Revolutionary War reenactors from the Hingham militia, the reading of a commemorative resolution from the Massachusetts House of Representatives, and a wreath-laying ceremony honoring the veterans buried at Parting Ways. The keynote address will be delivered by Dr. Robert A. Bellinger, Associate Professor Emeritus of History at Suffolk University. Dr. Bellinger is a scholar of African American history, African Diasporan studies, and West African history and culture, and was the founder of Suffolk University’s Black Studies Program.
Following the ceremony, a reception will be held at Pilgrim Hall Museum, 75 Court Street, Plymouth, with light refreshments. The original Plymouth County recruiting book from the Revolutionary War, containing the names of the Black soldiers associated with Parting Ways, will be on display for public viewing during the reception.
Parking at the historic Parting Ways site is limited, and attendees are strongly encouraged to carpool. Some parking will be available at the cemetery, with additional parking along Plympton Road. Those parking on Plympton Road are asked to remain on the Plymouth side of the Plymouth-Kingston town line and not to park across the town line in Kingston.