Celebrate Black History Month

Visit the birthplace and early childhood home of one of most famous black leaders and educator. Booker T. Washington founded Tuskegee Institute in Alabama in 1881 and later became an important leader when racism was increasing in the United States. Located in Virginia, visitors can experience the life and landscape of people who lived during a time when slavery was part of everyday American life.

Located in the heart of Boston's Beacon Hill, this historic site includes 15 pre-Civil War structures that recognize the history of Boston's African-American community, including the oldest standing African-American church in the U.S. Sites are linked by the 1.6 mile Black Heritage Trail - a walking trail that includes a memorial to Robert Gould Shaw and the African-American 54th Massachusetts regiment.

It is hard to believe that schools enforced segregation but in 1951, 13 parents went to trial against the Board of Education of the City of Topeka, KS in hopes that the school would reverse its policy of racial segregation. This site commemorates the landmark 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended racial segregation in America's public schools declaring that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal".

Paul Laurence Dunbar was a gifted writer whose novels, plays, short stories, and poems reflected much of the African American experience in America. As part of a park honoring three important men - Wilbur Wright, Orville Wright and Paul Laurence Dunbar - visitors can tour the house he purchased for his mother in 1904, and lived with her until his death from tuberculosis in 1906.

One of the most famous 19th century African Americans was Frederick Douglass who fought to abolish slavery. Douglass dedicated his life to fighting for those who struggle for liberty and justice. Visitors can learn about his struggle for rights for all oppressed people through guided tours.

This public memorial was created to recognize the outstanding achievements of George Washington Carver as a scientist, educator, and humanitarian. Located in Missouri, Carver was born into slavery as an orphan on the Diamond Grove farm. His life on the farm led to a future as a renowned scientist of agriculture. Visitors can partake in art projects, storytelling, and wildlife viewing.

Harpers Ferry is located at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers and has been the backdrop for remarkable events in African American history. Visitors can learn about John Brown's famous raid to end slavery as well as the education of former slaves in one of the earliest integrated schools in the U.S.

The park is a memorial to Thomas Jefferson’s role in opening the West, the pioneers who helped shape its history, and to Dred Scott who fought for his freedom in the Old Courthouse. Visitors can take guided tours, a tram ride, watch films, take a helicopter ride, and more.

On September 23, 1957 a crowd of angry protesters shouted against integration as nine African-American teenagers entered Little Rock's Central High for the first time following the verdict of the historic Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision. Special events are held often as are guided tours and permanent exhibits.

Maggie L. Walker became the first woman in the U.S. to found and serve as president of a bank; she was also African American. The site includes Walker's home of thirty years and a visitor center explaining her life and the Jackson Ward community where she lived and worked.