News

  The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire is pleased to announce the appointment of Barbara McLean Ward to the new position of Senior Grant Writer & Program Developer.  “We are excited to have Barbara working with us,” said JerriAnne Boggis, BHTNH Executive Director.  “Barbara has been in the forefront in telling the story of enslaved people in Portsmouth’s historic sites, and will be working with us on major grant initiatives and programming planning and development.” Ward was formerly the…

The 45-minute video presents sites and notable African Americans from Concord’s founding until recent times. It tells the story of the first meeting of the legislature in the new capital in 1782, at the Rev. Timothy Walker’s house and warehouse, where Governor, Governor’s Council, and legislature, were served by Prince, Violet, and Luce, enslaved in his household. It includes stories of enslavement, emancipation, the underground railroad, abolitionism, and the visits of Frederick Douglass. In more recent times, the tour tells…

For more information and to register for these programs, visit here The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire has launched the 2021 Elinor Williams Hooker Tea Talk Series, a free virtual series, Claiming Our Place: Blacks in “White Spaces”.  As a way to rethink one’s assumptions about race and place, these six Sunday Tea Talks explore how African Americans navigate various “white spaces”, spaces where Blacks and People of Color are marginalized, typically absent, or simply unexpected.  Through shared stories…

CONCORD, NH – What can a graveyard tell you about civics, race, history, and memory? A new video series from New Hampshire Public Radio’s Civics 101 podcast and The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire (BHTNH) explores New Hampshire’s Black history through the stories of local graveyards. The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire (BHTNH) promotes awareness and appreciation of African American history and life in order to build more inclusive communities. Beginning in May 2020, BHTNH staff worked with…

  The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire is currently launching the 2021 Elinor Williams Hooker Tea Talk Series, a free virtual series, Claiming Our Place: Blacks in “White Spaces”. These community dialogues will be held on 6 consecutive Sundays beginning Sunday, February 7 through Sunday, March 14, 2021, 2:00 – 4:00 pm. America has a troubled history of segregated public spaces.  When Amy Cooper called the police on Christian Cooper (no relation) in Central Park last year, the incident underscored…

                African Burying Ground Memorial in Portsmouth These life-sized bronze silhouettes, standing at the Court Street end of the Memorial, represent the collective community of greater Portsmouth, gathering resolved to acknowledge, protect, and pay homage to the souls whose remains chose to re-emerge in 2003 and make themselves known. Each figure bears a line from the poem by Memorial sculptor Jerome Meadows, inspired by this sacred place. I stand for the Ancestors Here…

Gift of Marian Anderson sculpture by Winslow Eaves sparks further expansion of Black Heritage Trail of NH Andover – home to sculptor Winslow Eaves + performer Richard Potter – to become stop on the Trail  “The sculpture reminds me how deeply Art can make us feel injustice and learn to act. Clearly, Art leads the way in expressing injustice.” – Dana Dakin, donor Portsmouth, New Hampshire…The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire (BHTNH) announced today further expansion of the Trail into Andover,…

Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire New Board Leadership Looks to Substantive 2021 Programming  Kicking off with Winter Tea Talks  “Sobering and eye-opening, the Black Heritage Trail forces us to question those we have traditionally considered heroes, and to elevate those who have been marginalized instead. It squarely centers Black life in early America, at a time when we as Americans need to be rewriting our history to do so.” – Jodi Picoult, New York Times best-selling author, Frommers’ Best…

“what side of history do you want to be on – on the side of slavery or on the right side?” – Charles DeGrandpre Portsmouth, New Hampshire…“What side of history do you want to be on – on the side of slavery or on the right side?” These are the words many a corporate executive could expect to hear as a pitch for sponsorship from Charles DeGrandpre, Esq., the late legendary patron of New Hampshire nonprofits but most especially the…

“Cambridge Trust is proud to support the Black Heritage Trail of NH. As a company, we have always been staunch supporters of efforts to eradicate racism and inequity in our communities. The Trail’s mission is a perfect example of this kind of effort. We hope that our backing will assist the Trail in its work toward building more inclusive communities.” Daniel Morrison,  Chief Executive Officer at Cambridge Trust New Hampshire Portsmouth, New Hampshire…In 2016, the Black Heritage Trail of New…