Learning About Black History Boston’s Landscape

Happy Friday! Today we’re closing out the week by looking at even more ways to honor Black History Month, focusing especially at the local level. History exists beyond the pages of textbooks; while “history” may concern things that happened in the past, it’s necessary to recall that those events occurred to living, breathing human beings. Which is why we encourage you to engage in different ways of learning and honoring Black history. An important educational opportunity provides you with a way to engage in holistic, embodied learning. Boston itself is home to important historical sites of many kinds. And today we’re highlighting those that shed a light on the variety of Black voices who lived in Boston.

Make sure that you (safely) check out Boston’s Black Heritage Trail: “The Black Heritage Trail is a 1.6 mile path with locations along the trail that are important in depicting Boston’s Black history. The train is located in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston. The trail links more than 15 pre-Civil War structures and historical sites. More than half the City’s 2,000 blacks lived on Beacon Hill during the 19th century. The historic buildings along today’s Black Heritage Trail were the homes, business, schools, and churches of Boston’s black community.” The world that we live in today didn’t just come into being out of nowhere–it’s vital to learn the historical foundations that lead to current events. While you may need to wait until the snow has melted and temperatures have risen, we encourage you to definitely engage with the vibrant variety of spaces that were home to Boston’s unique Black voices and to make learning about Black history something that extends beyond just the month of February.

For even more information on these linked locations, we encourage you to visit the National Park Foundation’s Boston African American National Historic Site: “Boston African American National Historic Site is comprised of the largest area of pre-Civil War black owned structures in the United States. It has roughly two dozen sites on the north face of Beacon Hill. These historic buildings were homes, businesses, schools, and churches of a thriving black community that, in the face of great opposition, fought the forces of slavery and inequality.” We also encourage you to sign up for the National Park Foundation’s newsletter in order to best stay informed about changes and ways to engage with these vital spaces. If you aren’t able to leave your home just yet, the National Park Service also offers us virtual tours of these sites.

Alongside the spaces themselves, the City of Boston’s Black History Boston page provides information about the specific people who lived and live amongst this landscape, helping to shape Boston’s past as well as its present–and future. We’re thankful for the diversity that has enriched every facet of our city. And will be honoring those diverse voices every day, even if we’re not blogging about it! Have a wonderful weekend, and we’ll see you again on Monday for our newest set of Mood Boosters.

Image retrieved from Pixabay under the public domain.

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