Black History
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.
In Arkansas a formerly all-Black school, Ouachita County Training School, has launched a national fundraising effort to restore the campus following its designation as a site on the National Register of Historic Places. One of the first corporate donations to OCTS, located in Bearden, Arkansas, came from the Katherine Anthony Foundation.
Anthony’s nephew, Steve, and CEO of Anthony Timberlands, presented a $10,000 check to the historic committee.
“We are happy to support the work of the Greater Bradley District Association and the Ouachita County Training School committee in their efforts to maintain the infrastructure and grounds of the training school, which is such an important part of the Bearden community,” Anthony said.
The National Park Service listed OCTS on the prestigious register in 2023.
“Since we received the news, we have been excited and motivated to raise the fund necessary to preserve this part of our history!” Virginia Ashley, committee president said. “We recognize the pivotal role OCTS played in educating several generations of young people who started right here and went on to contribute greatly to the Black middle class and the world.”
The gift of education
For education advocates, December holds a special place in American history. During the Christmas Season in 1952, the Supreme Court first heard arguments to eliminate segregation in the nation’s public schools. But, it took two more years before the Court issued its landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education, declaring segregation unconstitutional.
During the 1950s, OCTS educated Black students in the small southern town south of Little Rock, which became known internationally for The Little Rock Nine and their efforts to integrate Central High School. In Bearden, several Rosenwald Schools had consolidated to create the larger OCTS campus that educated students from the first through the 12th grades.
“I have such wonderful memories of my days as a student at OCTS,” recalled Pearlie Newton, a retired educator and executive director of the OCTS historic committee. “My dad helped pour concrete at the campus, my husband and I met there and it was in one of the classrooms that my goal to become an educator took shape.”
Despite the Supreme Court’s 1954 decision eliminating “separate but equal” schools, OCTS remained segregated until 1971 when it merged with the white school district in the area. An association of Black Baptist churches known as the Greater Bradley District Association purchased the campus for use as its headquarters.
Pastor and Association Moderator, Verna Thompson, said, “We are excited about the renovation and look forward to holding our church services and meetings in a modernized facility that holds so much historic significance.”
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