Travel can be a powerful space for storytelling, allowing people to find themselves in the spaces of Black history. When it comes to visiting major sites and landmarks, it’s more than just a retreat or exploration. These experiences provide better connections that have shaped the world we live in today. According to travel brand Lonely Planet, which created a curated list of the best places in the U.S. to explore and engage with Black history firsthand, now is the best time to preserve sites that hold significance in American history.
“Carrying this list, I always found it important to take these opportunities I have to explore these destinations, and really connect them to what I’ve already learned about my own history, and also broadening that,” said Dana Givens, writer and Lonely Planet travel expert. “The most important thing I learned is that we are more than our pain.”
From Frederick Douglas’s House in Washington, DC, to the Maggie L. Walker National Site in Richmond, Virginia, each location invites people to embrace and interact with the past. By seeing these spaces, you can create an emotional connection to the experiences that have defined Black life. Such connections are pivotal in fostering empathy and understanding, bridging the gap between generations and cultures. Traveling to historical Black sites is crucial for keeping the stories alive.
“We’ve created a lot of beautiful things, whether it’s in food learning, even just unique stories of people that took their destiny into their own hands, whether it was buying their freedom and establishing certain neighborhoods that did see our community prosper, things that just contributed to just the broader American fabric, inventions, places that now become places that we love and we see that maybe are a part of American society, but that started with us,” Givens told EBONY.
These locations also showcase the immense contributions of Black arts, sciences, politics, and social justice, which are often overlooked in mainstream narratives. Visiting these sites supports the community economically and promotes the preservation of history. One of the key places Givens suggests is the Penn Center on St. Helena Island, South Carolina, where she learned more about her Gullah Geechee roots. “Part of that was going to the Penn Center, and I walked out of that experience taller because I learned a deeper sense of where my family came from, and that meant a lot to me,” she said.
Black storytelling is multifaceted, and traveling to different places across the country exposes travelers to different perspectives and experiences rather than a surface-level narrative. Travel rooted in the exploration of Black history represents a dedication to celebrating the lives, struggles, and achievements of those who came before us. “The most important thing when you visit these sites is that a lot of them are connected to very painful times, but it also connected to very great things that we made,” she said.
As we move forward in a rapidly changing world, it is vital to carry the narratives of the past with us. Traveling to important Black historical sites not only ensures that these stories remain alive but also highlights a shared humanity, reminding us of the importance of history in shaping a better future.