Ideas for Black History Month Field Trips
Click on a state to find places and memorials of interest.
AL CA FL GA IN IL KS LA MD
MA MI NY NC OH PA TN TX VA WI
Birmingham
16th Street Baptist Church
Designed by black architect Wallace A. Rayfield. Location of the 1963 bombing which killed four little girls — Denise McNair, Cynthia Wesley, Addie Mae Collins, and Carol Robertson.
Located at 1530 Sixth Ave N at 16th Street N.
Birmingham Civil Rights Museum
Statue of Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth.
Located at 520 16th Street North.
Smithfield Historic District
Zoned in the 1890s for middle class blacks. Has historic marker.
Located at Eighth Avenue and Center Street.
Los Angeles Crenshaw Wall Dorothy Dandridge Sculpture Fire Station #30 First African Methodist Episcopal Church Mann's Chinese Theatre Tom Bradley Holographic Portrait Daytona Beach Jackie Robinson Stadium Mary McCloud Bethune House Eatonville Historic Eatonville Fort George Island Kingsley Plantation Miami Martin Luther King Jr. Statue and Park Olustee Olustee Battlefield Atlanta Atlanta Daily World Ebenezer Baptist Church King Birth Home Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site Prince Hall Masonic Building Fountain City Levi Coffin State Historic Site Indianapolis Medgar Evers Statue at Medgar Evers Library Chicago Chicago Defender Bronzeville Walk of Fame Harold Washington Library Center Michael Jordan Statue Tribute to the Great Northern Migration Victory Monument for the Eighth Regiment Fort Leavenworth Buffalo Soldiers Monument Kansas City John Brown Monument Baton Rouge Allendale Cabin Martin Luther King Jr. Monument Port Hudson Battlefield New Orleans Congo Square Dew Drop Social Club Annapolis Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial Thurgood Marshall Monument Baltimore Billie Holiday Statue Black Soldiers Memorial NAACP Headquarters Great Barrington W.E.B. Du Bois Boyhood Homesite Michigan Detroit The Fist Memorial Frederick Douglass-John Brown Meeting Marker Joe Louis Statue Motown Historical Museum National Museum of the Tuskeegee Airmen Orchestra Hall Orsel McGhee Residence Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Missouri Blue Summit Bernard Powell Memorial Monument Charlie "Bird" Parker Gravesite Kansas City Charlie "Bird" Parker Memorial Spirit of Freedom Fountain Brooklyn Jackie Robinson School Plymouth Church of the Pilgrim New York City African Burying Grounds Apollo Theatre Countee Cullen Library Duke Ellington Statue Hotel Theresa Jackie Robinson Park and Recreation Center James Weldon Johnson Homesite National Urban League Headquarters Paul Robeson House Queens Louie Armstrong House Durham Bennett Place State Historic Site Royal Ice Cream Company (formerly) Woolworth's Store (formerly) Greensboro Union Cemetery Walkway of History Woolworth's Building Raleigh Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Gardens Cleveland Central High School Hough Obelisk Jesse Owens Statue Philadelphia All Wars Memorial to Colored Soldiers and Sailors First Protest Against Slavery John Coltrane House Paul Robeson Homesite Pearl Bailey Marker Pittsburgh Josh Gibson Marker Memphis Burkle Estate/Slavehaven Ida B. Wells Marker Lorraine Hotel/National Civil Rights Museum W.C. Handy Home W.C. Handy Statue Dallas Freedman's Cemetery Houston Emancipation Park Phyllis Wheatley High School Chesapeake The Battle of Great Bridge Courtland Nat Turner Uprising Site Hampton John Biggers Murals Norfolk Old Point Comfort, Fort Monroe Black Soldiers Memorial Portsmouth Medal of Honor Monument Williamsburg Carter's Grove Plantation Kenosha Underground Railroad Homes Milwaukee America's Black Holocaust Museum
This mural covers the length of a city block and commemorates the achievements and pride of African Americans.
Located at 5100 Crenshaw Boulevard.
Dorothy Dandridge, first African American nominated for Best Actress for her 1954 portrayal of Carmen Jones, is part of this memorial to four famous starlets. Dandridge's image faces northeast.
Located on Hollywood Boulevard at La Brea Boulevard.
Honors African Americans who have served as Los Angeles fireman since 1897.
Located at 1401 Central Avenue at 14th Street.
FAME was founded by Biddy Mason in 1872.
Located at 2270 S Harvard Boulevard.
Look for the Sidney Poitier's hands prints. You will also find many African American artists honored on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.
Located at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard.
Monument to the former Los Angeles mayor.
Located at 200 N Spring Street.
A statue of Jackie Robinson being idolized by two youths sits at the entrance of the park.
Located at 105 E Orange Avenue on City Island Parkway.
This house is located in the center of Bethune-Cookman College campus.
Located on Mary McCloud Bethune Boulevard.
This first incorporated African American town was settled in 1887, and was the home of Zora Neale Hurston. Many original property lines and historic markers still exist.
Located north of Orlando, exit I-4 at Lee Road, then take an immediate left at Wymore Road. Proceed north 1/2 mile, then take right on Kennedy Boulevard.
Ruins of slave quarters.
Located at the northern tip of Ft. George Island at the Ft. George inlet, east of Jacksonville off Florida A1A.
Another park dedicated to the memory of the great Civil Rights leader.
Located at 62nd Street at 32nd Avenue Northwest.
Three Colored Troop regiments participated in the largest Civil War battle in Florida.
Located two miles east of Olustee on U.S. 90.
Founded in 1928 by W. A. Scott, the Atlanta Daily World is Atlanta's oldest African American newspaper.
Located at 145 Auburn Avenue.
Founded 1886. Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was co-pastor from 1960-1968.
Located at 407 Auburn Avenue.
King lived here for the first twelve years of his life.
Located at 501 Auburn Avenue.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Historic Site and Preservation District is roughly bounded by Irwin Avenue and Courtland, Randolph, and Chamberlain Streets.
Located at 450 Auburn Avenue.
National headquarters of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
Located at 334 Auburn Avenue.
From this house, Coffins helped over 2,000 runaway slaves escape the south. You can view where escaping slaves hid in the house.
Located at 113 U.S. 27 North.
A life-sized bronze statue of Evers.
Located at 4215 Medgar Evers Boulevard.
Sleeping car porters circulated the newspaper widely in the South during Jim Crow, which attracted thousands of migrants to Chicago.
Located at 2400 S Michigan Ave at E 24th Street.
Features bronze plaques on sidewalks at major intersections which honor Joe Louis, Sammy Davis, JJr. and Mahalia Jackson. A large bronze street map of Bronzeville at 35th Street lists over 120 historic sites in the area.
Located from 25th to 47th Streets.
Chicago native, Washington became the first African American elected mayor of Chicago.
Located at 400 S State Street.
Jordan wears his six championship rings.
Located at 1901 W Madison Street.
Statue of a hatted man with suitcase honors tens of thousands of African Americans who migrated in the early 20th century to Chicago.
Located at Martin Luther King Jr. Drive between 25th and 26th Streets.
Granite shaft with bronze panels; an African American WWI soldier stands on top.
Located at Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and 35th Street.
Bronze statue of a Buffalo Soldier, some of whom were headquartered in Kansas.
Located about 20 minutes west of KCI airport.
This statue honors the abolitionist.
Located at 27th and Sewell.
Located on the West Baton Rouge Museum grounds, this two-family slave dwelling contains artifacts from the slave era.
Located at 845 N Jefferson Ave in Port Allen, west of Baton Rouge.
A memorial to the slain civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Located between the Governmental Building and the Theater for Performing Arts on St. Louis Street.
In the first major combat action by African American troops in the Civil War.
Located at 765 West Plains-Port Hudson Road in Zachary, 10 miles north of downtown, off Highway 19.
In the 1700s, enslaved blacks gathered here on Sundays.
Located in Armstrong Park at North Rampart and St Ann Streets.
Greats like Louis Armstrong and Bunk Johnson played here, among others.
Located at Lamarque Street near Monroe Street in Mandeville district.
In the City Docks of Annapolis sits a statue of Alex Haley reading stories to children. This faces a plaque marking Kunte Kinte's 1767 arrival as a slave in the port.
Located at the foot of the Annapolis City Harbor.
Erected in 1996.
Located at Lawyers' Mall, at College Avenue and Rowe Boulevard.
An 8 1/2 foot bronze sculpture of "Lady Day."
Located on Pennsylvania Avenue between Lanvale and Lafayette Streets.
This 9 foot statue memorializes African American servicemen from all American wars.
Located in Battle Monument Plaza at Calvert and Lexington Streets.
W. E. B. DuBois and others founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in 1909.
Located at 4805 Mount Hope Drive.
W.E.B. Du Bois lived at this site until he was 17. His family had lived there for more than 200 years and as an adult he often used the home as a retreat. Only the ruins of the original house are visible.
Located on the north side of Route 23, approximately two miles west of Great Barrington, Massachusetts.
A giant statue of the Joe Louis's forearm.
Located at Woodward and Jefferson.
Frederick Douglass, John Brown and several abolitionists met at the home of William Webb.
Located at Congress and St Antoine.
A large statue of boxing great.
Located at 1 Washington Boulevard.
"Hitsville USA" was the spot where many great African American artists began their music careers.
Located at 2648 W Grand Blvd near Linwood.
This museum honors the 99th Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group, and the 477th Bombardment Group which became known as the Tuskeegee Airmen.
Located at 6325 W Jefferson Avenue.
A major stop on the African American Chitlin' Circuit in the 1940s-1960s. Many others, including Count Basie, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, and Ella Fitzgerald performed here.
Located on Woodward Avenue at Parsons.
The McGhees were represented by Thurgood Marshall after they were sued for living in a white neighborhood. The case went to the Supreme Court in 1948. The Court legally abolished restrictive housing laws.
Located at 4626 Seabaldt, two blocks north of Tireman.
The figure representing Emancipation is said to be based on Sojourner Truth.Emancipation faces the Barry Sanders football mural.
Located at Campus Martius across from Kennedy Square.
Statue of the civil rights activist.
Located in Spring Valley Park at 28th and Brooklyn.
Jazz saxophonist Parker is buried in Lincoln Cemetery.
Located at 8604 East Truman Road in Jackson County.
17 foot tall bronze bust of Parker.
Located at 17th and Vine.
Memorial to the tireless work of African Americans.
Located on southwest corner of Cleveland and Brush Creek.
Jackie Roosevelt Robinson's house was razed to build this school in his honor.
Located at 46 McKeever Place.
The "Grand Central Station" of the Underground Railroad.
Located at 75 Hick Street.
This cemetery was used for over 100 years and is now marked by a memorial.
Located at 97 Orchard Street near Broome.
A famous center for African American music.
Located at 253 W Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. and Frederick Douglass Boulevards.
Named in honor of one of the most famous poets of the Harlem Renaissance, Countee Cullen.
Located at 104 W 136th Street.
This 20 foot statue shows Duke standing on a piano, all held in the air by statues of women.
Located in Central Park at Fifth Avenue and 110th Street.
Jim Crow segregation made this hotel necessary when black artists could not stay in white hotels. Guests included Lena Horne, Billie Holiday, Joe Louis, Cab Calloway, Dizzy Gillespie, Lester Young, and Duke Ellington.
Located at 2090 Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard at 125th Street.
This large park features two plaques honoring Robinson.
Located at 89 Bradhurst Avenue.
Author of "Lift Every voice and Sing," Weldon Johnson lived here from 1925 to 1938.
Located at 187 W 135th Street near Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard.
This organization serves over two million people each year. Founded in 1910.
Located at 120 Wall Street.
This building where the Robeson family lived from 1939-1941, is a National Historic Landmark.
Located at 555 Edgecombe Avenue.
Home of Armstrong from 1940 to 1971.
located at 3456 107th Street.
This is the site where Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston and Union General William T. Sherman discussed repaying emancipated slaves for their labors with 40 acres and a mule. Andrew Jackson reversed the order after Lincoln's assassination.
Located at 4409 Bennett Memorial Road.
Site of the August 1957 sit-ins.
Located on the corner of Roxboro and Dowd Streets.
The site of sit-ins which were attended by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Located at 124 W Main Street.
Oldest black cemetery in North Carolina.
Located at the 900 block of South Elm Street.
Sidewalk markers explain six major eras of local African American history.
Located at February One Place near South Elm Street.
First sit-in site, which helped launch the Civil Rights Movement.
Located at 100 South Elm Street.
Find a life size statue of Dr. King.
Located at the corner of Rock Quarry Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
High school attended by Langston Hughes.
Located at 2225 East 40th Street at Central Avenue.
In 1966, the Hough African American neighborhood erupted in riots and flames. The obelisk commemorates the neighborhood's revitalization.
Located at East 79th and Hough Streets.
A bronze statue honoring the first Olympic athlete to earn 4 gold medals.
Located in Fort Huntington Park, West 3rd Street and Lakeside Avenue.
12 life-size figures honor three centuries of African American veterans. Recently moved to a less obscure spot.
Located at Benjamin Franklin Parkway at 20th Street.
In 1688, German Quakers held a protest on this spot calling for the abolition of slavery. Pennsylvania went on to become the first state to outlaw slavery in 1790.
Located at 5109 Germantown Avenue.
Tenor saxophonist and American jazz pioneer John Coltrane lived here from 1952 until his death in 1967.
Located at 1511 N 33rd Street.
The great singer grew up in this home.
Located at 4951 Walnut Street.
The actress, singer, and dancer Pearl Bailey began her career here.
Marker located at 1946 N 23rd Street.
This is the spot where the greatest all-time hitter played. The "Babe Ruth of the Negro Leagues" and Satchel Paige's battery mate with Pittsburgh Crawfords, Josh Gibson hit 84 home runs in one season and his Baseball Hall of Fame plaque says he hit "almost 800" home runs in his seventeen-year career.
Located near the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, on the sidewalk in front of Ammons Playground, once Ammons Field.
This small white house was Memphis' most important station on the Underground Railroad.
Located at 826 North Second Street.
Wells was a journalist and human rights activist. She wrote for a newspaper in Memphis and is honored with this marker.
Located on Beale Street near W.C. Handy Park.
This site of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination has been turned into a comprehensive Civil Rights museum.
Located at 450 Mulberry Street between Calhoun and Vance Streets.
Many of Handy's possessions are on display in this home where he lived as an adult.
Located at 352 Beale Street.
A large statue of W.C. Handy presides over a park where musical festivals are often held.
Located at Beale Street, between Hernando and Fourth Streets.
Memorial honors the over 7,000 African Americans who were buried here.
Located on the west side of North Central Expressway, between Lemmon Ave and Hall Street.
Purchased by Reverend Jack Yates and other former enslaved people in 1872 for Junteenth celebrations.
Located at 3108 Dowling Street.
Alumni include Barbara Jordan and Mickey Leland.
Located at Solo and Market Streets.
You will find a marker where the black Ethiopian Regiment fought Americans on behalf of the British in the Revolutionary War.
Exit I-64 to Battlefield Parkway and look for the marker.
The Nat Turner Trail is the path Turner and others took in August 1831 in their famous slave revolt.
Located about 40 miles east of downtown Norfolk, take I-264 until it past the interchange with I-64, the next exit is US 58 freeway. Continue going west on US 58 even after it changes to a highway and then a freeway again some miles ahead. A few exits past Franklin you should see the exit for the small town of Courtland in Southhampton County. For information and to make reservations for the next group tour, call H.K. Khalifah at (804) 658-4934 or (757) 723-2696.
Large murals by the artist are found in Harvey Library at Hampton University.
Located on the Hampton University campus.
First a landing point for ships carrying Africans, the fort became a refuge for those escaping slavery during the Civil War.
Take I-64 to exit 268 to Mallory Street and follow signs to Fort Monroe.
A rare Civil War memorial in the south dedicated to African American Union soldiers.
Located in Elmwood Cemetery at Princess Anne Road.
Honors African American soldiers who received Congressional Medals of Honor for valor during the Civil War Battle of New Market Heights near Richmond.
Located at Water Street.
A reconstruction of a 17th century plantation, including slave quarters; interpreters discuss their lives.
Located on Route 60 at Pocohontas Trail.
Many homes in Kenosha served as stops on the Underground Railroad.
The Deacon Joseph Qualis barn, located at at 6306 8th Avenue.
Pastor Deming's home located at 426 Park Avenue.
Deacon Smith's home located at 109 Congress Street.
John Bullen's home at 6027 7th Avenue.
Founded in 1988 by James Cameron, who is America's only living survivor of a lynching.
Located at 2233 N 4th Street.
