The number of African American Heritage sites in Metro Boston and across Massachusetts includes over 100 findings. These Black heritage destinations are restored buildings or homes, museums, heritage trails, churches, space markings, photographs ( a Malcolm X photo collection is in the Omni Park House Hotel History Gallery ), artwork installations, statutes, memorials, stone monuments, ships, machines and more. Add in Black New England Heritage locations and the number would easily top 200 items and places to visit and learn about.
The latest to join this distinguished list will become an installation from the KING BOSTON organization of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Coretta Scott King Memorial into the ground on Boston Common sometime in 2019 or 2020.
new MLK memorial
going into Boston Common
The MLK memorial is funded by multi-million dollar seed investments from philanthropists, foundations, individuals, businesses and civic leaders. City residents, by way of their taxes paid to City Hall who is invested in the project, has funded it as well.
More than just the public mural, millions of dollars raised for the project will flow through Roxbury’s 12th Baptist Church where Dr. King gave sermons. Its purpose is to support local educational and outreach efforts to propel Dr. King’s dream into the hearts and minds of residents in Black Boston, White and Brown Boston. Boston’s MLK Memorial is being staged near the famed Robert Gould Shaw 54th Regiment Monument and Restoration Project. More info at www.kingboston.org
Faneuil Hall Slave Memorial planned
Slaves were sold and traded at Quincy Market’s Faneuil Hall back in the day. Controversy over renaming Faneuil Hall to one with Crispus Attucks made the news. A controversial slave memorial to be installed there has been proposed to the mayor of Boston by a Boston University professor. What he designed is a bad idea; nevertheless, it remains to be seen what the city allows for a design that recognizes the role Faneuil Hall held in the Boston slave trade.
Cape Cod Black Art Church
Hyannis in Cape Cod
Black history and heritage sites are woven all across New England’s 71,992 square mile territory. You’ll find them in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont and islands on Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, Maine’s Malaga Island.
While the Black Heritage Trail at the Museum of African American History on Beacon Hill and The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire are known to media travel guides and tourism bureaus, there is a lot more Black Heritage to see in the New England region.
