Let’s celebrate ‘Black History Month’ every month!  Spring break vacations will soon start all across the country and they are a great opportunity to continue learning while visiting a great city/destination.  Why not continue the learning process with a little black history while on vacation.   We want to share two fabulous family destinations with ‘Black History’ attractions.

Washington, DC

Washington, DC, our nation’s capital, is home to lots of great museums and historical attractions.  The most popular black history attraction is the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.  It is indeed a breathtaking memorial to see in person, but DC is also home to several other black history attractions that the family will enjoy while learning.

Some of the most popular attractions include:  the home of Mary McLeod Bethune who created the ‘National Council of Negro Women’ and the home of leading abolitionist of the day Frederick Douglass, Cedar Hill.   A favorite historical attraction is the ‘African American Civil War Museum & Memorial.’  The museum chronicles in vivid and captivating detail the often overlooked contributions of African Americans in the Civil War.  The memorial outside the museum is another breathtaking statue exclusive to Washington, DC.   It features the ‘Spirit of Freedom’ statue by African American sculptor Ed Hamilton and the ‘Wall of Honor’ featuring 209,000 names of soldiers of African descent who served in the Civil War.

Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia, PA is affectionately known as the city of ‘brotherly love.’   It is also known for being an important city in black history.  Not only is Philadelphia the home of the ‘liberty bell,’ it is also home to ‘The Johnson House.’  ‘The Johnson House’ was a very important destination for slaves heading north seeking freedom.  It was a stop along the ‘Underground Railroad’ and even housed the most famous leader of the ‘Underground Railroad,’ Harriet Tubman.  While in Philly also visit opera star Marian Anderson’s very first home, the first AME Church ‘Mother Bethel AME Church’ and the oldest parcel of land continuously owned by African Americans.  For even more black history visit the African American Museum and explore the African Diaspora at the Penn Museum.  For more information and a complete list of attractions, please visit www.visitphilly.com.   

BMWK – Make your family’s spring break a fun vacation this year mixed with a little history.