Found Lineage: Celebrating African American Roots and Branches
The Black Heritage Trail • Portsmouth, NH • blackheritagetrailnh.org • Juneteenth Celebration June 17–19, 2021
In 2003, city workers discovered 13 coffins in downtown Portsmouth, NH. Further investigation found that these remains were all of African descent with as many as 200 people thought to be buried along the small area of Chestnut Street. That space, now designated as the African Burying Ground Memorial Park, has been host to many ceremonies and celebrations since its dedication in 2015. To celebrate Juneteenth, the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire will mark the holiday with Found Lineage: Celebrating African American Roots and Branches.
The three-day event commemorates the 19th of June, 1865, when the Union army reached more remote areas of Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation that had been in effect since January 1, 1863. Juneteenth, the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the U.S., is recognized in all but four states. The Black Heritage Trail will offer workshops, a concert, and a keynote address with ancestor reverence drumming and dancing taking place at the African Burying Ground Memorial Park. The park includes historical information, granite seating walls, a community plaza, decorative tiles, landscaping, and two life-size sculptures designed by Jerome Meadows. The bronze cast represents a Portsmouth slave while the other represents Mother Africa.
During this time, visitors may walk the many sites of the Black Heritage Trail. These designated landmarks apprise significant historical locations to the Black community of the area tracing back to the earliest enslavements in 1645. Notably, residences of enslaved people, houses of worship, and stops along the Underground Railroad make up the tour, including places associated with Ona Judge, Martha Washington’s famous fugitive slave. Visitors can receive free maps at the Black Heritage Trail office at 222 Court Street along with other literature for sale. The house is a historical marker with future plans of being a meeting place and expanded library. Guided walking tours are set to begin on Memorial Day weekend.
—Jennifer Mancuso