History Matters Freedom Forward Trail
Check out a special episode of History Matters that aired Monday, June 19th! Our student ambassador host Saniya Gay takes you through sites where enslaved Black Americans fought for their freedom. These underground railroad sites, protected by the National Park Service, include Maryland’s B&O Railroad museum and Virginia’s Fort Monroe. You’ll also hear from Opal Lee, who successfully advocated for the national federal Juneteenth holiday.
The 400 Years of African American History Commission and collaborating partners – Fort Monroe Authority, Virginia, Fort Monroe National Monument and the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program of the National Park Service, the Rosenberg Library and Galveston Historical Foundation of Galveston, Texas, and National History Day® – invite municipalities to join us for the kickoff of FREEDOM FORWARD commemorating the 2nd federal holiday observance of Juneteenth and our launch of America250. Watch the full program below.
America250 is a multi-year effort to commemorate the semiquincentennial, or 250th anniversary, of the United States.
America250 represents a coalition of public and private partners all working to create initiatives and programs that honor our first 250 years and inspire Americans to imagine our next 250.
The America250 commemoration period began in 2020, culminates on July 4, 2026, and officially concludes in 2027.
The 400 YAAHC and other America250 collaborative partners – Fort Monroe Authority, Virginia, Fort Monroe National Monument and the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program of the National Park Service, the Rosenberg Library and Galveston Historical Foundation of Galveston, Texas, and National History Day® will engage in a multi-year educational and engagement initiative launching Juneteenth 2022, FREEDOM FORWARD, to increase understanding and knowledge of the history of freedom before and beyond the founding of the nation.
Our Partners
Fort Monroe, managed by partnership between the Fort Monroe Authority for the Commonwealth of Virginia, the National Park Service as the Fort Monroe National Monument, and the City of Hampton, is a former military installation in Hampton, Virginia, at Old Point Comfort, the southern tip of the Virginia Peninsula, United States. Due to its historical and cultural significance, Fort Monroe was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. Find out more.
Galveston Historical Foundation (GHF) was formed as the Galveston Historical Society in 1871 and merged with a new organization formed in 1954 as a non-profit entity devoted to historic preservation and history in Galveston County. Visit the GHF here.
The National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom’s mission, through collaboration with local, state and federal entities, as well as individuals and organizations, is to honor, preserve and promote the history of resistance to enslavement through escape and flight, which continues to inspire people worldwide. Through its mission, the Network to Freedom helps to advance the idea that all human beings embrace the right to self-determination and freedom from oppression. Learn more here.
The Rosenberg Library represents Galveston’s past, present, and future, a unique institution serving as the principal repository of Galveston’s historical heritage and providing
technological and traditional services, all as a continuing source for the community, its children, and its children’s children. Read more.
NHD is an educational nonprofit organization that engages teachers and students in historical research. Its mission is to improve the teaching and learning of history in middle and high school through an innovative framework of historical inquiry and research. Students learn history by selecting topics of interest, launching into year-long research projects, and presenting their findings through creative approaches and media. The most visible vehicle of NHD is the National Contest. Visit their site here.
