Sankofa Trolley Tours

“In the wake of Democrat Doug Jones’ victory in the Alabama special election, Black women again became icons, trapped in a cycle of ennoblement, flattening, and dehumanization.” Black women and girls have continually been on the front lines of progressive change movements, using their voices and stories to mobilize intersectional coalitions to dismantle oppressive systems. Yet, they are routinely portrayed in television and film as sassy, neck-rolling harpies with major attitude problems. Black women say these depictions have real world…

Author Presentation, Living History Performance, Book Signing & House Tour Apart from a handful of exotic and almost completely unreliable tales surrounding his life, Richard Potter is mostly unknown today. Two hundred years ago he was the most popular entertainer in America—in fact, the first showman to win nationwide fame. His story is even more remarkable in that Richard Potter was also a black man. Working as a magician and ventriloquist, he personified for an entire generation what a popular…

When we mark down our history through a form of memorialization, we not only ensure that we will not forget the person or event paid tribute to, but that our future generations will have this knowledge as well. Hear from a group of young New Hampshire residents about their journey to self-discovery as ‘people of color’ in a state often described as “lilly white.” Presenters Jubilee Byfield, University of New Hampshire, Class of 2019 Nya Barnette Grace Wilson, Part of…

Join producers Nancy & Brian Vawter and BHTNH Director JerriAnne Boggis for a lively and insightful dialogue after each screening. This documentary focuses on the efforts of two dedicated historic preservationists and activists, Valerie Cunningham (co-author of Black Portsmouth: Three Centuries of African American Heritage) of Portsmouth and JerriAnne Boggis of Milford, to recover the stories of people who have been rendered nearly invisible in the historical record, from individuals laid to rest at the African Burying Ground in Portsmouth…

On Friday March 30th at 1:30 p.m., a Pilgrimage of 14 Stations of the Cross will be a tour led by the Black Heritage Trail of NH (BHTNH). The tour begins at the “puddledock” area of Portsmouth Harbor, where the story of African slavery began in New Hampshire, and ends at the African American Burying Ground Memorial. All are welcome to participate in the tour. The tour meets at the flagpole on Marcy Street, across from Strawbery Banke next to…

Join producers Nancy & Brian Vawter and BHTNH Director JerriAnne Boggis for a lively and insightful dialogue after each screening. Rescheduled from March 7th. Join SURJ members and Atlantic Media for a viewing of the powerful local documentary Shadows Fall North. This documentary focuses on the efforts of two dedicated historic preservationists and activists, Valerie Cunningham (co-author of Black Portsmouth: Three Centuries of African American Heritage) of Portsmouth and JerriAnne Boggis of Milford, to recover the stories of people who…

Stories and Myths of the Underground Railroad in Portsmouth Tour Guide & Sankofa Scholar: Angela Matthews Few institutions from Black American history attract contemporary attention more than the Underground Railroad. Tales of white abolitionists who steered escaped men, women and children through the secretive world of special codes, false walls and hide-outs have sometimes distorted historical accuracy. Tour Guide & Sankofa Scholar Angela Matthews Note: Advance registration: This tour is part of the 2018 Spring Symposium

Myth, Reality & Mapping the Underground Railroad An Interactive Workshop & Panel Discussion Few historic institutions from the black past have attracted contemporary attention more than the Underground Railroad. Tales of white abolitionists who steered escaped enslaved men, women and children through the secretive world of special codes, false walls and hide-outs in attics, barns and cellars, have sometimes distorted historical facts. READ MORE COST $35 TOUR & SYMPOSIUM (includes lunch) $25 SYMPOSIUM ONLY (includes lunch) $20 TOUR ONLY REGISTER…

Tour Guide & Sankofa Scholar: Nur Shoop Colonial Portsmouth newspapers 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 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. Register Online

Tour Guide & Sankofa Scholar: Tammi Traux 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. 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 visit…