| Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail | |
| History Is Now | |
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Welcome to Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail! |
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Black Heritage is America's heritage. From the dawn of British colonialism, Portsmouth, New Hampshire has been a center of maritime trade -- even eclipsing Boston in the early days of the American colonies. And, as with many American ports, it also has a long history as an entry point for African slaves. The Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail tells the story of these early Americans and their descendents through four centuries of struggle, strength and freedom. UPCOMING EVENTS! |
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Last Update 1/15/2008 On Tour! JANUARY 2008 - "GHANA TOUR 2008" The Black Heritage Trail, represented by Valerie Cunningham and Liz Doucette, are representing the Portsmouth-Greater Accra Sister City Connection on a 2-week tour of Ghana in January 2008. Vida Galeota, our Ghanaian guide, will travel with us for the entire trip from the USA to Ghana. Some of the historic and cultural sites on our itinerary: Nkruma Park and Mausoleum, WEB Dubois Memorial Centre, University of Ghana, Dagbe Center for Arts & Culture, National Botanical Gardens, Cape Coast slave trading post and slave tombs, beaches and fishing village, National Wildlife Refuge New Hampshire and New England have historic connections through the Atlantic slave trade to Western Africa, especially along Ghana's coast which was known during the period as the "Gold Coast." · In 2007, Ghana celebrated its 50th anniversary of independence from England. The year also marked the 200th anniversary of England's decision to end the slave trade. Ghana was a departure point of enslaved Africans beginning in the fifteenth century when the Europeans built slave trading posts along the coast of Ghana. We will visit the infamous fort at Cape Coast. · The Portsmouth-Greater Accra Sister City Connection invited two Sister City chiefs to New Hampshire in 2005 for the 10th anniversary celebration of the Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail. Their visit has strengthened our sister city relationships as we hope that tours such as this will continue to deepen an understanding of our shared historical and cultural heritage. Come back to visit in mid-January 2008 to see our photo album. RECEPTION & BOOK SIGNING - December 7, 2007 The Center for New England Culture Invites you to A Reception & Book Signing to Celebrate the Publication of Harriet Wilson’s New England : Race, Writing, And Region Friday, December 7, 2008 4pm — 6pm Dimond Library University of New Hampshire Published by the University Press of New England and featuring a forward by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Harriet Wilson’s New Englandis the first collection devoted entirely to Harriet Wilson, her groundbreaking novel Our Nig, and the exploration of the erasure of historically hidden ethnic communities in rural New England . Join us for this opportunity to Meet the Editors and Contributors The Center For New England Culture Huddleston Hall/Main Street Durham, NH 03824 603-862-0353 AFRICAN BURIAL GROUND IN NEW HAMPSHIRE Stay tuned for updates on The City of Portsmouth, NH collaborative effort to expand the vision for an overall design that commemorates Portsmouth's African Burial Ground as a sacred public space; and to design, fabricate and install visual art component(s) for the African Burial Ground. Requests for additional information should be directed in writing to David Moore, Assistant Community Development Director at dmoore@ch.cityofportsmouth.com or fax (603-427-1593). NOTE TO INTERESTED ARTISTS: Please do not direct questions to African Burial Ground Committee members or members of the Woodburn & Company design team. Doing so may result in disqualification. "IT'S REMARKABLE!" That’s what the Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail thinks about the progress since being founded in 1995. And “remarkable” is the way people have described our distinctive bronze plaques that appear around the city. Visitors to Portsmouth learn from those historic site markers that the history of African Americans in this Seacoast community is, itself, quite remarkable. Members of the committee who created the unique texts for each marker will be thanked for their patient dedication to this effort. They are founding members of the Trail: Valerie Cunningham, Kelvin Edwards, Marcia Jebb, and Jennifer Stiefel. Special recognition also goes to Kelvin Edwards for his many “remarkable” contributions to the Black Heritage Trail, including serving as the treasurer and a tour guide for the Trail’s first decade. The Board of Directors offered light refreshments and music at a celebration on August 25, 2007 to celebrate completion of the markers and to say thank you to the entire communityfor its remarkable support over the years...however the work continues on current projects and plans for future projects. Volunteers are needed for educational projects, research, fundraising and tour guides. For a description of the sites, go to http://seacoastNH.com/b/Black_History/ The PBHTrail office is located at the Governor John Langdon House,143 Pleasant Street in Portsmouth. Contact pbhtrail@aol.com or 603-431-2768 for hours and other information. AUGUST 25, 2007 - IT'S REMARKABLE! To thank you PERSONALLY for your ongoing support of the Trail. PREVIEW our final additions to the historic site markers collection, now totalling 20 beautiful brass plaques. Congratulate our founding member, KEL EDWARDS, for more than a decade of dedicated service as our Treasurer, Tour Guide, and co-author of all those site markers! Also, shake hands with Steve Clarkson, author of PATRIOT'S REWARD, his novel about Will Clarkson, signer of the Portsmouth Slave's Petition in 1779. Music by REV.JEFF and TJ WHEELER. A note from Valerie: I hope you will look for the 3 new historic site markers that will be installed at different locations. Two of the plaques will honor enslaved members of the Sherburne household, and the free Blacks who documented their status as free people at the Penhallow House, both sites now part of Strawbery Banke Museum. The third plaque commemorates Rosary Cooper, a 20th century entrepreneur and community organizer, whose house on Washington Street is being restored by the current owner. EVENTS! BULLETIN BOARD Check the current events on the bulletin board of the University of New Hampshire, African American Studies, Community Black Heritage Partnerships
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The mission of the Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail, Inc. is to preserve the history and culture of the African-American community in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and to promote awareness and appreciation of that community through education and public programs. The Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail committee meet on the first Tuesday of the month at 5:00pm. For more information, email PBHTrail@aol.com
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Rock Rest 167 Brave Boat Harbor Rd. Kittery Point, ME 03905-5239 Tel 207 439-0550 In the News..."Kittery home has black history roots" April 11, 2006 DIRECTIONS From Portsmouth, NH: For other questions and information about the African Burial Ground contact: Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail, Inc., 603-431-2768, pbhtrail@aol.com
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