Black history is everywhere. From oral traditions, written records, and acclaimed museums to weathered buildings, bronze statues or unrecognized placards, the markings of Black people, travel and their impact on this country are endless.
These places offer opportunities to connect with our past, hoping to invoke changes for our future.
In an era when Black History is being actively erased from school curricula, books, and holidays, it is imperative to visit monuments and locations that celebrate it.
According to the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, of the 95,000 sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places, only two percent focus on the experiences of Black Americans, and unfortunately, many of the acknowledged locations only highlight the injustices and horrors experienced by Black people throughout the decades.
This minuscule figure of recognized spaces indicates the lack of resources allocated to unearthing and preserving these places dedicated to the authentic narratives of Black people in America.
In 2025, seeking out spaces that acknowledge and share Black history is not only an act of enrichment but an act of resistance and protest.
Here is a list of monuments, museums, sites and spaces where you can travel to, discover and celebrate Black history all year long.
National Civil Rights Museum – Memphis, TN
Located at the historic Lorraine Motel, the site of Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination, the National Civil Rights Museum offers a powerful and immersive experience. Walk where history happened and explore the complete story of the Civil Rights Movement, from the era of slavery to the fight for voting rights.
As if frozen in time, visitors can venture into the area where one of the most significant events in the Civil Rights Movement took place and get a glimpse of Dr.King’s life before he stepped outside room 306.
Engage with powerful multimedia exhibits that connect the past to today’s social justice issues. Designed for students, educators, history lovers, and anyone passionate about justice, the museum inspires visitors to understand the past and become agents of change in the present.
Travel to America’s Black Holocaust Museum- Milwaukee, WI
Historical records indicate that African Americans have been part of Milwaukee’s history since the 1700s. The city saw a significant increase in its Black population during the Great Migration of the 1940s to the 1960s, as individuals moved north searching for manufacturing jobs.
The contributions that Black people have made to business, culture, and social justice in Milwaukee cannot be understated, and today, the fight to create a better, more equitable Milwaukee continues.
Founded in 1988 by Dr. James Cameron, a Civil Rights activist and one of America’s only lynching survivors, America’s Black Holocaust Museum is a testament to building public awareness of the “harmful footprint of slavery and Jim Crow in America, while promoting racial repair, reconciliation and healing.”
The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire – Portsmouth, NH
The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire promotes awareness and appreciation of African American history and life to build more inclusive communities today. For more than 300 years, the lives of African people and their descendants have been a part of New Hampshire’s history.
From the docks of Portsmouth, where merchants engaging in the trans-Atlantic slave trade unloaded their cargo, to the northern border with Canada, where many escaping captives found their first moment of freedom, the Granite State holds a multitude of stories that mark the milestones of its complex history.
The trails offer five signature programs and celebrations to travel to and learn about the history of Black people in New Hampshire, including guided tours, an annual Juneteenth celebration, the annual reading of Frederick Douglass’ historic protest speech, Elinor Williams Hooker Tea Talks and the annual Black New England Conference.
Medgar & Myrtle Evers Home – Jackson, MS
From the immersive experiences at the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum (where you can hear a first-hand account from the youngest freedom writer in the movement, Hezekiah Watkins) to visiting the Medgar & Myrlie Evers Home National Monument, Jackson illuminates how the lessons of the Civil Rights Movement still resonate today.
It is also a thriving hub of historic Black-owned businesses, including Marshall’s Music & Bookstore, the country’s oldest continuously operated Black-owned bookshop and The Orchid Bed & Breakfast, the first Black-owned bed and breakfast in Mississippi whose 11-guest rooms are dedicated to Black women who have torched the way in Jackson and around the state.
Other notable historic sites include Farish Street, a landmark district once the undisputed hub for Jackson’s Black community, the Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center, and Margaret Walker Center, a cultural preservation and resource center for African American history and culture.
Africa American Heritage Trail – Fayetteville, NC
Fayetteville is home to a multifaceted community as diverse as any major metropolitan area. While best known for Fort Liberty, the largest military installation in the world, Fayetteville also holds a unique distinction: a 2022 LendingTree survey revealed it has the highest percentage of Black-owned businesses in the United States.
The city’s rich African American heritage is celebrated through the African American Heritage Trail, which features 17 historical sites to travel to, offering Black residents a window into the lives and accomplishments of notable Black figures in Fayetteville’s history.
At the U.S. Army Airborne and Special Operations Museum, visitors can experience the heroic stories of America’s troops, including a special exhibit dedicated to the Triple Nickels, or the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion—the first all-Black parachute infantry unit to serve during World War II that was famous for its valiant battles.
History enthusiasts can also explore the Fayetteville History Museum, home to the historic Orange Street School. Built in 1915, it is believed to be the oldest educational facility in the city. Although the school has long since closed, the building now serves as a museum highlighting Black history in the region.
Madam CJ Walker Theatre & Legacy Center – Indianapolis, IN
Initially built in 1927 to house her products’ manufacturing, Madam CJ Walker’s distribution center became much more. The Madam CJ Walker Building became a forerunner of today’s shopping malls with a drugstore, a beauty salon, a beauty school, a restaurant, professional offices, a ballroom and a 1500-seat theater.
Walker’s plan for the theatre was ignited when she was forced to pay the “Black tax” (a higher fee) for a theatre ticket. Determined that no other person of color would have to endure such discrimination, Walker began her plans for an extravagant theatre where the city’s Black residents could enjoy life, music and shows. Although Walker died before the theatre was complete, her daughter A’Lelia Walker saw her mother’s vision through.
The stage has welcomed greats such as Ella Fitzgerlad, Nat King Cole, Patti Labelle and Lena Horne. The Walker Building remains a beacon of inspiration, progress, entrepreneurship and artistic excellence.
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