African American Heritage Tour

Trace the journey of African Americans in Annapolis and explore their impact both nationally and internationally. This 90 minute walking tour starts at Market House Park across from the City Dock where slave ships entered 300 years ago. See the Alex Haley statue that marks the significance of the author of Roots, the journey of his ancestor Kunte Kinte. Work your way up the hill and through history to the State House to talk about Thurgood Marshall, the first African American Supreme Court Justice, and hear of the newly installed busts of Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass. Your guide will highlight the importance of the Underground Railroad in the Chesapeake Bay and throughout Annapolis. During colonial times, the labor of both the enslaved and free blacks was the cornerstone upon which the tobacco economy was built. In the nineteenth century, Maryland was home to more free African-Americans than any other state. Presently, Maryland continues to grow because of the important contributions made by her African-American citizens.