Best Places to Experience Black History Landmarks
In this age of mass documentation, it’s important to look back and see how far we’ve come. Here are some important places where Black history has been documented and memorialized.
In this age of mass documentation, it’s important to look back and see how far we’ve come. Here are some important places where Black history has been documented and memorialized.
Black history is everywhere. We experience it in our hometowns, in the faces of our parents and grandparents. We remember.
And in this age of mass documentation, it’s important to look back and see how far we’ve come. Here are some important places where Black history has been documented and memorialized.
Museums
The National Museum of African American History and Culture is a new addition memorializing more than 400 years of Black history. Opened in the fall of 2016 in Washington, D.C.’s National Mall, it is the only national museum “devoted exclusively to the documentation of African-American life, history, and culture.” With over 36,000 artifacts, it is a great place to take a comprehensive journey through the history of Black America.
Another top spot for learning about the African diaspora is the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. This Detroit-based museum was established in 1965 and holds the world’s largest permanent collection of African-American culture. If you’re looking for the best time to visit, try August – that’s when they host their annual African World Festival that draws more than 100,000 visitors and 150 vendors every year. You can take in authentic African and Caribbean food, clothes, accessories, and more.
Whitney Plantation in Louisiana is more than just a holdover from the days of slavery. It is a time capsule that captures some of the darkest days in American history, with a focus on seeing it from a slave’s perspective. For more on why visiting a plantation is important, you can check out this powerful article from National Geographic.
Hidden Gems
The top African American art and culture museum in the Southwest is the African American Museum in Dallas, Texas. It has one of the largest African American folk art collections in the country.
Another lesser-known haven of Black history is the Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site in Richmond, Virginia. Maggie L. Walker was a prominent advocate for African Americans’ and women’s rights in the early 20th century. She was the first black woman to found a bank. You can tour her neighborhood and her former mansion, which showcase her life and achievements.
The arts were also heavily shaped by the Black experience, much more so than we like to think. In Dayton, Ohio, you can visit the Paul Laurence Dunbar House, home of one of the first African-American poets, complete with original 20th-century furniture and the bicycle built for him by the Wright brothers. This monument celebrates its 150th birthday in 2022.
Black History in Harlem
Where is Black history most visible to you? For us, many roads lead back to Harlem. The whole neighborhood is full of monuments, historical landmarks, even our streets are named after some of the most prominent civil rights activists and powerful Black men and women who paved the way for us.
At the top of our list is the unmistakable Apollo Theater. Billie Holliday, James Brown, Ella Fitzgerald and so many more started on their roads to superstardom in the hallowed halls of the Apollo.
The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is “a world-leading cultural institution devoted to the research, preservation, and exhibition of materials focused on African American, African Diaspora, and African experiences.” They have exhibitions and events that educate and entertain you as you learn about the comprehensive Black experience. The Schomburg Center plays a significant part in Harlem week, and HarlemAmerica’s own G. Keith Alexander had the privilege of introducing the Schomburg’s Executive Director, Joy Bivins during “A Salute to David Dinkins,” a Harlem Week must-watch.
Dunbar Apartments is another testament to the history of Black Americans in the United States. Constructed by John D. Rockefeller, this was the first project of its kind, built with the primary purpose of housing African Americans. Greats like W. E. B. Du Bois, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, and Paul Robeson called the Dunbar Apartments home, among others.
Harlem is a haven for many moments in Black history, including the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes House, and tons of other monuments, museums, and landmarks.
Find Your Harlem
Black history wasn’t just the Harlem Renaissance and the civil rights movement. It’s a living, thriving movement that is happening all over the country. And HarlemAmerica wants to help you create your own Black history.
Are you a Black lawyer, coach, psychologist, thought-leader, or business owner? Check out our website to learn more about our small business membership packages.