Lincoln Memorial This
memorial touches the hearts of all African-Americans because of
Lincoln’s steadfastness in ending slavery in the US. It was here that
Martin Luther King, Jr. made his “I Have a Dream” speech .
Lincoln Memorial
Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church This
church was important in sheltering runaway slaves before the Civil War,
and its pulpit has hosted many respected speakers, including Frederick
Douglass, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Jesse Jackson. Anacostia Museum and Center for African-American History and Culture This
museum explores the role that African-Americans have played in the
culture of the nation. Temporary exhibitions examine specific events or
survey the work of important black artists. 1901 Fort Place, SE Open 10am–5pm daily Dis. access Free
Cedar Hill Frederick
Douglass, a former slave, made many speeches for the rights of
African-Americans, and was an adviser to Abraham Lincoln. He and his
wife, Anna, moved into this Gothic-Italian-style house in 1877. In the
garden is a humble stone hut nicknamed “The Growlery,” which Douglass
used as a study .
“The Growlery,” Cedar Hill
Mary McLeod Bethune Council House A
former cotton-picker, Bethune rose to be a leading educator of
African-Americans and an activist for equal rights. Her house was the
headquarters of the National Council of Negro Women, which she founded.
During the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration, she was a valued
adviser .
Mary McLeod Bethune Council House
Supreme Court In
one of its most notable decisions, the Supreme Court aided
African-Americans’ quest for equality in the 1954 Brown v. Board of
Education trial, in which the “separate but equal” system of education
was overturned. It was a turnaround from the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson
decision that supported segregation .
Supreme Court
Mount Zion United Methodist Church Believed
to be the first black congregation in the District, founded in 1816,
Mount Zion’s original building was an important stop on the Underground
Railroad. Its present red-brick site was built in 1884. Behind the
church is a small cottage containing a collection of artifacts
reflecting the black history of Georgetown. 1334 29th St 202 234 0148 Open by appt
Lincoln Park This
pleasant urban park does justice to its dedication to Abraham Lincoln.
The 1974 Robert Berks statue of Mary McLeod Bethune shows the great
educator passing the tools of culture on to younger generations. The
Emancipation Statue by Thomas Ball (1876) shows Lincoln holding his
Proclamation in the presence of a slave escaping his chains . Frederick Douglass Museum Another
site associated with the statesman and abolitionist, this was
Douglass’s home for nearly 10 years from the mid-1870s. Artifacts
associated with Douglass are displayed here. Benjamin Banneker Park This waterfront park is named in honor of a renowned 18th-century free black mathematician and astronomer.
Top 10 African-American Figures
Ralph Bunche The first African-American to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, because of his diplomatic efforts in the UN. Duke Ellington The musical genius was a native Washingtonian. He played his first paid performance on U Street. Hiram Rhodes Revel The first African-American to take a seat as US senator, representing Mississippi. Paul Lawrence Dunbar Dunbar
rose from poverty to gain recognition as a poet – the first
African-American to do so – publishing his first collection in 1892. Harriet Tubman The best-known figure who freed slaves through the Underground Railroad. Ida B. Wells-Barnett This celebrated crusader against anti-black government actions also marched in the 1913 women’s suffrage rally. Marian Anderson In
1939 the singer was barred from Constitution Hall because of her race,
so gave her Easter Sunday concert at the Lincoln Memorial instead. Eleanor Holmes Norton Norton has been effective as the District’s non-voting House member, lobbying to promote Washington issues. Walter E. Washington Mayor of Washington from 1974–8, the first elected mayor in the city for over 100 years. Anthony Williams Elected mayor in 1998, he has streamlined administrative and fiscal operations.
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