Must-see, Must-visit Black History Sites
July and August are months families and others typically go on vacation. Many travel abroad. Others find interesting activities in their own country or home area. This is a time when we can connect with and explore our culture and the magnificent ancestral heritage, achievements, contributions, and struggles of African Americans. The Espresso Talk Today team is excited about the opportunities to learn and experience Black history and culture. We have created a short list of places that you may find interesting. Be prepared to take a deep dive into our history, culture, contributions, and achievements.
Other ways to learn and experience Black history: Read, watch movies and documentaries, talk to your Elders, and attend a re-enactment.
1. The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration. The National Memorial for Peace and Justice (Montgomery, Alabama).
The Legacy Museum is located on a site in Montgomery where Black people were forced to labor as enslaved people. It also includes slave auction spaces. The Museum focuses on the Transatlantic Slave trade. It includes first-person narratives and art. The Peace and Justice Museum acknowledges and remembers the terror experienced by more than 4,400 African American men, women, and children between 1877 and 1950. It was created as a site where people can gather and reflect on America’s history of racial inequality. Make it a point to visit these museums. Click here for more information.
2. The National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel (Memphis, Tennessee).
The Lorraine Motel is where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. It has become an official Historic Site by the Tennessee Historical Commission. The mission of the Museum is to share the culture and lessons from the American Civil Rights Movement and preserve the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Click here for more information.
3. The Whitney Plantation (Wallace, Louisiana).
The Whitney Plantation has been turned into a museum. It is the only plantation in Louisiana with a specific focus on slavery. Hundreds of enslaved people worked on the plantation during slavery. The main products produced were sugar, rice and indigo. The Museum focus is on the lives of the enslaved people during slavery and on the plantation. Click here to learn more about this important site.
4. The National Voting Rights Museum and Institute (Selma, Alabama).
This Museum is located at the foot of the Edmund Pettis Bridge, which is the site of the “Bloody Sunday” march where John Lewis and other marchers were attacked while marching for voting rights. The Museum’s mission is to chronicle and preserve the history of the Voting Rights Movement and struggle in America. The Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965 and outlawed discriminatory voting practices in the United States. The Museum includes a “footprints to freedom” exhibit which has the footprints of some of the activists who participated in the Selma and Montgomery marches for voting rights. Click here to learn more about this important museum.
5. Tuskegee Airmen National Historical Museum (Detroit, Michigan).
The Tuskegee Airmen were African Americans who enlisted in the U.S. Military to become the first Black Airmen including mechanics and support crew for the aircraft. They trained at Tuskegee Airfield in Tuskegee, Alabama. This was historic because of the prevailing beliefs by many people in the United States that Black people do not possess the intelligence, skill, and courage to become airmen. Go to the National Museum and see and experience the courage and victories of the Tuskegee Airmen under enormous pressures. There were over 14,000 Tuskegee Airmen. The movie “Red Tails” was made about the Tuskegee Airmen. Click here to learn more about this dynamic museum.
6. African Burial Ground National Monument (New York City (Manhattan), New York).
In 1991, during the construction of a Federal Office Tower, the “Negroes Burial Ground” was discovered. It is considered a sacred space. Both free and enslaved Africans are buried here. It is dedicated to all who were lost, stolen, or left behind. It dates from 1630 to 1795. More than 15,000 remains of enslaved and free Africans are buried here. Click here to learn more about this sacred place.
7. Old Slave Mart Museum (Charleston, South Carolina).
The original site was opened as a “slave” market in 1856. It was later established as a museum in 1938. The Museum is in a portion of the City’s last major slave market. It included a four-story jail where enslaved people were held prior to sale. It was used as a slave pen. Enslaved people were bought and sold here. Click here to learn about this important historical space.
8. A complete listing of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
There are 107 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the United States. The website lists all these colleges and universities by State. Also included is current news about the HBCU, admission requirements including tuition and tuition waivers. If you live in a state where there is an HBCU, visit the campus, connect with the faculty, experience the programs and support these HBCUs. If you do not live in a State that has an HBCU, now is the time to visit the nearest campus. Click here to get the listing.
9. The Buffalo Soldiers National Museum (Houston, Texas).
The Buffalo Soldiers were freedmen and former slaves who fought in the Civil War, the wars of Western Expansion (Indian wars), and the first World War. The name is derived from the Native American’s respect for the bravery and valor with which the Buffalo Soldier fought. The Museum contains photos and artifacts of the Buffalo Soldiers. Learn about Cathay Williams, the only female Buffalo Soldier. During your visit you will have the opportunity to experience a reenactment of the Buffalo Soldier’s story by experienced actors. Click hereto visit this exciting museum.
10. The National Museum of African American History and Culture. (Washington, DC).
The Museum is a comprehensive collection of African American history and culture from slavery to the present. It covers slavery and freedom, music, literature, sports, military, politics, religion, and other important and relevant history of African Americans with exhibits and demonstrations. It is a “must see” for all African Americans. Click here to visit this important and dynamic museum.
You can learn and live Black history all year long. We hope that this list was helpful to get you started. Black history is still being made today!
And remember…soul, strength, and reparations!
Asante Sana for reading!
Espresso Talk Today Team
