Thirst for Freedom: From NH’s Slave Trade to Its Civil Rights Movement

Lives Bound Together: The Washingtons & Ona Marie Judge in NH

Black Heritage Trail of NH 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH, United States

Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Sonya Martino During the Spring of 1796, George Washington’s final months in office, Ona Judge, an enslaved woman owned by the First Family, escaped the Executive Mansion in Philadelphia with the aid of that city’s free Black community and made her way to Portsmouth, NH. On this tour, you will hear the true story of Ona’s quest for freedom and the President’s relentless efforts to get her back. See the waterfront where she lands and…

Thirst for Freedom: From NH’s Slave Trade to its Civil Rights Movement

Black Heritage Trail of NH 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH, United States

Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Nur Shoop Colonial Portsmouth newspapers would testify to the local slave trade, runaways, abolitionists, and anti-abolitionist activities, followed by conflicting opinions of the Civil War. In the 20th century, the legacy of that early history was reflected in the news about de facto segregation in housing and public places. This tour includes many of those historic landmarks from the early nineteenth through the twentieth centuries.

Book Signing: Beyond the Bus

Temple Israel 200 State Street, Portsmouth, NH

  "Rosa Parks Beyond the Bus: Life, Lessons, and Leadership is a collection of inspiring and instructive memories compiled from the decade that Mrs. Parks was a guest in author H.H. Leonard’s Washington, DC home. During those years, Mrs. Leonards was able to know the heart, mind, and spirit of the woman who refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama city bus on December 1, 1955. The author shares her remembrances, both delightful and somber, in a way…

New Deal or Raw Deal: Why it Matters

Portsmouth Public Library, Livingston Room 175 Parrott Ave, Portsmouth, NH

Since the pandemic, experts pointed to the bold action President Franklin D. Roosevelt took during the Great Depression as an example of the scale and scope the pandemic response should achieve. The New Deal put millions of desperate Americans to work, created massive job programs, and established a safety net for the unemployed and elderly. However, these programs did not benefit everyone who needed help. Black people, Hispanics, and women were disproportionately excluded from access. With an eye on the…

Homesick: Attaining the American Dream

Portsmouth Public Library, Livingston Room 175 Parrott Ave, Portsmouth, NH

The median income of a New Hampshire household is not enough to rent a median priced apartment in places like Portsmouth and Manchester. The data is far worse for a single person earning the New Hampshire median income. A single person would need at least two roommates to afford a median priced, apartment. Burdened by high rents, households strain to cover other necessary expenses, such as food, health care, clothing, and transportation. Households paying more than 30 percent of their…

A Question of Access and Quality: Health Care in New Hampshire

Portsmouth Public Library, Livingston Room 175 Parrott Ave, Portsmouth, NH

Franklin D. Roosevelt included “The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health” as one of the fundamental rights of Americans. In subsequent decades Medicare and Medicaid were enacted as part of Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society, and the Affordable Care Act of 2010 expanded health care insurance to more Americans. This panel explores the realities of New Hampshire’s health care today and the further strains the Covid 19 pandemic put on the system.…

Close to the Edge: Policing and Criminal Justice in New Hampshire

Portsmouth Public Library, Livingston Room 175 Parrott Ave, Portsmouth, NH

Social programs of the Great Society were aimed at utilizing relief and social programs to prevent crime. The Law Enforcement Assistance Act of 1965 changed the emphasis from creating jobs as a tool to prevent crime to funneling federal funds to support increased policing. This legislation laid the foundation for high incarceration rates for African Americans and people of color. This trend was further intensified by the establishment of mandatory sentencing laws in the 1980s. This panel will discuss these…

Equity and Adequacy: Public Education in New Hampshire

Keene Public Library 60 Winter Street, Keene, NH

Roosevelt’s New Deal led to experimentation with federal education programs. But it was not until 1965, with the passage of the Johnson’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act, that federal funding for education was directed toward increasing the resources in poor communities. Project Head Start and funding for education in school districts whose student body consisted of a majority of low-income students were key elements of Great Society programs. Here in New Hampshire public education is tied to property taxes. Since…

The American Spiritual Ensemble

Saint John's Episcopal Church 101 Chapel Street, Portsmouth, United States

St. John’s Episcopal Church presents The American Spiritual Ensemble live in concert at 3pm on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Admission $30 suggested donation available to purchase online, or at the door.

Envisioning the Future

Nashua Public Library 2 Court Street, Nashua, NH, United States

On the eve of the passage of Great Society civil rights legislation in the mid 1960s, Martin Luther King addressed a vast audience of marchers from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. In his speech he referred to “the promissory note” owed to all Americans, guaranteeing that all would share the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Now, 60 years later, we ask if that debt has been paid.  What constitutes a just society and how…

Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire

The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire promotes awareness and appreciation of African American history and life in order to build more inclusive communities today.

Contact Info

Mail: 222 Court Street, Portsmouth NH 03801
Phone: 603-570-8469
Email: info@blackheritagetrailnh.org
COVID 19 waiver
Office Hours:
M - F 10 - 4 pm

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