11 Places to Learn About and Celebrate Black History in NYS
With Black History Month coming to a close, we want to remind you that every month is a good time to learn about and celebrate Black history. If you are looking for some New York history field trips this year, here are just a few ideas to get you started.
Underground Railroad Education Center, Albany
“This historic site is a place where the community can come to learn about and be transformed by the inspiring story of the Underground Railroad, the first integrated civil rights movement in the United States, and its relevance for us today.” The Underground Railroad Education Center is dedicated to researching, preserving and promoting the history of the anti-slavery and Underground Railroad movements. Since 2004, the group has been working to restore the Stephen and Harriet Myers residence on Livingston Avenue in Albany’s Arbor Hill neighborhood. Built in 1847, this three-story Greek Revival brick building was built by John Johnson, an African American sloop captain. African American abolitionists Stephen and Harriet Myers, central figures in the Capital Region’s Underground Railroad movement, lived in the house during the mid-1850s. The League has supported the site’s restoration efforts through our NYSCA-funded Preserve New York grant program, first in 2006 for the completion of a historic structure report that focused primarily on the building’s exterior and again in 2016 to support a thorough interior condition assessment of the residence’s ten rooms. Both documents are meant to help guide a complete restoration.
Harriet Tubman National Historic Park, Auburn
From the National Park Service: Harriet Tubman lived in Auburn, New York from 1859 until her passing in 1913. She lived on the South Street property, adding new buildings for her family to live in. Her brothers, John and William Henry Stewart Sr. and their families, her parents, and other relatives lived with Harriet at various points when they were not in Canada and helped maintain the farm and land, especially as Harriet grew older and frailer, and be close to family members in the area. Harriet Tubman transfers the 25-acre parcel to the AME Zion Church in 1903 to realize her dream of a Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged and Infirm Negros so that there would be a place of refuge for the elderly, sick, and homeless she knew. The Home for the Aged officially opens in 1908 and Harriet will enter the Home in 1911 and live there until she passes in 1913. Her home is currently accessible only by guided tour.
Weeksville Heritage Center, Brooklyn
Weeksville Heritage Center is a historic site and cultural center in Central Brooklyn that uses education, arts, and a social justice lens to preserve, document, and inspire engagement with the history of Weeksville, one of the largest free Black communities in pre-Civil War America, and the Historic Hunterfly Road Houses. In addition to the historic homes (the League recognized their restoration with a 2006 Excellence Award), Weeksville also has a contemporary addition where they host numerous events and public programs.
Shirley Chisholm State Park, Brooklyn
Mural of Shirley Chisholm by Danielle Mastrion. Photo by Mike Groll via Untapped New York.
Pay tribute to one of New York State’s greatest trailblzaers while enjoying one of the City’s newest parks. Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress, represented her Brooklyn community for seven terms, from 1969 to 1983. She sought the Democratic nomination for President in 1972, making her the first Black candidate for a major-party presidential nomination and the first woman to run for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. Her namesake park is now the City’s largest State Park, with 407 acres jutting out into Jamaica Bay.
Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor, Buffalo
The Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor is a nationally and internationally recognized Buffalo neighborhood that serves as the focal point of residents’ and visitors’ experience for learning about Buffalo’s rich African American history through its vibrant neighborhoods, shops, restaurants, unique structures, historical markers, people and institutions, as well as its significant impact on local, national and international history. There are four main cultural anchors in the Corridor: The Michigan Street Baptist Church, The Historic Colored Musicians Club & Jazz Museum, The Nash House (the restoration of which won an Excellence Award from the League back in 2006), and WUFO Radio Station & Black History Collective.
The Apollo, Manhattan
The historic Apollo Theater is one of the City’s most iconic cultural destinations. The organization describes itself as “a catalyst for new artists, audiences, and creative workforce; and partner in the projection of the African American narrative and its role in the development of American and global culture.” Originally opened in 1913, the Apollo has been a venue dedicated to showcasing Black performers since 1934.
Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center
The Old Custom House in Niagara Falls landed on our Seven to Save list back in 2005 after years of vacancy and deterioration. Since then, it has been rehabbed and transformed into a museum celebrating the region’s history. The historic building is connected to a sleek modern addition where visitors can learn about the role Niagara Falls played in the Underground Railroad. The Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center works to “reveal authentic stories of Underground Railroad freedom seekers and abolitionists in Niagara Falls that inspire visitors to recognize modern injustices that stem from slavery and take action toward an equitable society.”
Lewis Latimer House Museum, Queens
Part of NYC’s Historic House Trust, the Lewis Latimer House Museum celebrates its namesake and other BIPOC innovators through STEAM education, public programs, and exhibitions.. Latimer's life story is used as a point of departure from which to examine issues of race, class, immigration and contemporary events. Latimer contributed greatly to several landmark innovations in the late-19th and early-20th centuries, including playing pivotal roles in the creation of the telephone and the incandescent lightbulb.
The Louis Armstrong House Museum, Queens
The Louis Armstrong House Museum is a celebration of an icon of American Jazz, but also of the vernacular architecture of the 20th century (the restoration of the historic house was awarded an Excellence Award from the League in 2004, shortly after it opened to the public in 2003). With the newly constructed Armstrong Center across the street from the historic home, LAHM has positioned itself as a “hub for inspiration and learning, economic development and tourism. For local neighbors, city, national, and international visitors, the new campus will permanently establish Armstrong’s legacy as one of the most influential figures in American and Global History.”
Eastville Historical Society, Sag Harbor
According to EHS’s website: “From the early 1800s until the mid 1900s, the section of historic Sag Harbor known as Eastville was home to a multi-ethnic population of free Blacks, European immigrants and Native Americans. The area evolved through many economic changes, including two devastating village fires, the rise and fall of the whaling industry, the development and decline of factories, and a boom in the tourist and resort business. Today Eastville retains its ethnic mix, while preserving its modest character amidst the glamour and wealth of the Hamptons.” The Historical Society originally formed to preserve the St. David A.M.E. Zion Church and its neighboring cemetery. It has since moved its headquarters to a nearby 1925 Sears & Roebuck catalog house where they host exhibitions and other public programs.
Southampton African American Museum, Southampton
The Southampton African American Museum’s mission is to promote an understanding and appreciation of African American culture by creating programs that will preserve the past, encourage learning and enhance the life of the community. Since 2021, the museum has operated out of its permanent home, a former Black-owned barbershop that had long been a touchstone for the community.
All photos are from the organization’s websites or social media channels unless otherwise noted.