Celebrate African American History Month on Perceptive Travel
Posted February 8th, 2011 by Alison Stein Wellner
Although my elementary schools are long past, back when I was a mere lass, there was something that I always liked about the way each month brought a new focus to the curriculum: in February, African American history, in March, women’s history, etc. etc.
I know that there’s been some controversy around establishing these fill-in-the-blank months — i.e. does it suggest that a group’s history is separate from history as a whole? I see that point, but since it’s impossible to focus on all of history at once, I think it makes sense to designate a month of the year to focus on a particular subject of importance that ought not be forgotten.
So with that in mind, I just went browsing through the Perceptive Travel archives, to see what we’ve got here for travelers who are interested in African American history this February. It turns out, we’ve got quite a little collection going, with a particular focus on the Civil Rights era:
- Remembering Freedom Summer: How music connected people during the summer of 1964.
- The Negro Motorist’s Green Guide: A historic guidebook for African American travelers in the segregated south.
- A Mighty Stream in Montgomery: Visit the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama.
As well, here are a couple of pieces that examine different aspects of the African American experience, past and present:
- George Washington, Slave Owner?: A look at Philadelphia’s new monument, The President’s House
- Uniquely African American: Gullah and Geechee Culture: Tour this heritage corridor.
For still more, don’t miss the New York Public Library’s remarkable collection of digital images relating to African American history, of which the photo above is a part.
Related posts:
- Country Music Month: American storytelling
- Uniquely African-American: Gullah and Geechee culture
- History and a homecoming queen
- This month in Perceptive Travel Webzine
