Milford Marker Unveiling Honoring Harriet E. Wilson

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

Historians Rebecca Courser & Lynn Clark will take us on a journey in Warner, NH that will commemorate and make visible the town’s Black community that dates back to the 1700s. This tour will begin at the Soldier’s Monument near the town hall.

Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Kevin Wade Mitchel as Jack Staines Seafaring was one of the most significant occupations among both enslaved and free Black men between 1740 and 1865. Black sailors sailed on whalers, warships, and privateers. Some were enslaved and forced to work at sea, but by 1800 most seamen were free to seek adventure and economic opportunity aboard ship. On this tour you will meet a mariner who was also husband to Ona Marie Judge, the escaped…

Tour Guide: David Nelson Harriet E. Wilson was the first African American of any gender to publish a novel on the North American continent. Her book Our Nig, or Sketches from the Life of a Free Black was published in 1859. Born a free person of color in New Hampshire, Wilson was orphaned when young and bound until the age of 18 as an indentured servant. She struggled to make a living after that, marrying twice; her only son George died at…

Sankofa Tour Guide: Valerie Fagin Can you imagine the hustle and bustle of a prosperous Colonial seaport town? This tour invites you to discover the world of early Portsmouth from the perspective of African American women in America. In spite of enslavement and hardship, these women fought for freedom, defied a sitting president, and educated generations of children. Hear their stories about love of family and community, about faith and struggle, as you walk past now-silent homes built by the…

Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Nur Shoop There were many variations of the Green Books that were used as a tool by African Americans who went places to enjoy themselves without concerns of experiencing racism On this tour you will see the places and hear the stories of the local people whose homes served as safe vacation spots for African American travelers who wanted to find safety places and avoid the humiliation often experiencing discrimination that could, without warning, prohibit…

Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Kevin Wade Mitchel as Jack Staines Seafaring was one of the most significant occupations among both enslaved and free Black men between 1740 and 1865. Black sailors sailed on whalers, warships, and privateers. Some were enslaved and forced to work at sea, but by 1800 most seamen were free to seek adventure and economic opportunity aboard ship. On this tour you will meet a mariner who was also husband to Ona Marie Judge, the escaped…

Sankofa Tour Guide: Daniel Comly At the turn of the 19th century, Black abolitionists are changing public attitudes about slavery and challenging racial bias in the courts. In Portsmouth, never-enslaved and now-freed Black adults share households with not-yet-free elders and children who are owned by their buyers. It is a time of possibilities, hope and fear. True stories about these families will describe how a community of Black Americans were striving to create a life and place in this northern…

Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Sonya Martino During the Spring of 1796, George Washington’s final months in office, Ona Judge, an enslaved woman held 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…

Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Angela Matthews The African Burying Ground Memorial is one of at least six locations in the city where Black Americans and Africans have been laid to rest. Hear the stories and remember. ** These tours will meet at 222 Court Street, walk to the African Burying Ground, then return to individual cars at 222 Court Street to drive to the remaining cemeteries.