Black History Month
Fredericksburg, Virginia’s new Civil Rights Trail titled “Freedom, A Work in Progress,” offers unique insights into the area’s Black History. This free self-guided journey includes 21 stops around Fredericksburg and the University of Mary Washington. It traces African Americans’ fight for equality from the Civil War to the Black Lives Matter movement.
During February, there is an influx of travel stories for the “Best Places to Celebrate Black History Month”. It’s great and there are so many places I want to visit! However, the same list almost disappears into the ether as soon as March 1st arrives.
Yolanda ‘Yollie’ Copeland is a woman with a mission. The retired sheriff’s deputy, who moved to Jacksonville, Florida in 2013, is committed to making sure that the city’s rich Black history isn’t erased. She does it by tooling around town in an advertising-covered, low-speed electric vehicle, wearing a bright yellow shirt, shoes, and hat, and sharing her love for the area and the people who shaped it.
There’s no denying John Ware lived a legend-worthy life. Born into slavery in the American South, he rose far above his humble beginnings to become a Black cowboy with a successful career as a rancher in the Canadian province of Alberta. Throughout his journey, Ware faced racism, prejudice, and the numerous challenges that came from a white-dominated industry. John Ware overcame those obstacles as he managed thousands of cattle and horses for highly successful ranches, ultimately developing a ranch of his own. His renowned skills and experience in the industry, along with his remarkable character, earned him a solid place among the legends of the Canadian West.
Mention Daytona Beach, Florida, and most people will either declare its glory as the birthplace of NASCAR or as the “World’s Most Famous Beach.” Daytona Beach and its surrounding communities occupy an iconic piece of Florida’s east coast. It turns out Daytona Beach is a treasure trove of Black history sites and stories.
Many people know the story of the African American town Rosewood from the movie about the massacre, but how many of us have heard of Goldsboro, Florida, the second black incorporated city in the United States, which also thrived and was subsequently destroyed?
Black History Month has been celebrated annually since the year 1926. First termed “Negro History Week,” Black History Month is honored each February.
