Five Black History Sites Managed By The U.S. Government

With the global pandemic nearing its one-year anniversary, the National Park Service has temporarily closed its historical sites. But, here are five of our favorites that celebrate Black History. 

The Harriet Tubman House is located in Auburn and Fleming, New York, and includes three properties. One of those is dedicated to indigent and elderly African Americans and represents the lifelong dream of Tubman to build a home for the aged. The former conductor of the Underground Railroad moved into the home in 1911 and remained there until she died in 1913.

Monroe Elementary School in Topeka, Kansas is a symbol of the hard fought battle to end segregated schools. Monroe was one of the schools attended by African American students in Topeka when the Rev. Oliver Brown took his seven-year-old daughter, Linda, to one of the all-white schools for enrollment. They were turned away, but Brown and a group of courageous parents challenged the school district’s all-white policy to the Supreme Court where in 1954, the Justices declared in Brown v. Board of Education  that “separate but equal” facilities are inherently unconstitutional ending racial segregation in public schools.

The George Washington Carver National Monument was the first memorial dedicated to an African American and non-president. The historical site covers the boyhood home of Carver who, along with his older brother, was raised by Moses and Susan Carver after slavery was abolished. Carver enjoyed learning and attended a school for Black students 10 miles from his home. He later moved to Fort Scott, Kansas, to attend school and completed his education at universities throughout the Midwest. In 1896 Booker T. Washington invited Carver to Tuskegee to head the Agriculture Department which he did for 47 years. During that time, Carver established a research laboratory and is credited with creating new techniques to replenish soil and developing his many uses for the peanut.

National Museum of African American History and Cuture is considered by many as  the crown jewel of the Smithsonian’s collection of museums and research centers Located on the National Mall, NMAAHC opened in 2016 while President Barack Obama was still in office.The museum houses an astonishing array of photographs, documents, and memorabilia curated to tell the story of Black Americans.

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Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial covers four acres in West Potomac Park next to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The Stone of Hope, a granite statue of King carved by sculptor Lei Yixin, is the centerpiece of the memorial. The memorial honoring the Civil Rights icon’s legacy was dedicated on August 28, 2011 which was the 48th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. However, the ceremony was postponed until October due to Hurricane Irene.