Discover Pittsburgh’s African American History!
Posted On: July 1, 2009
After nearly three years of work, YPA is pleased to present the first-ever tourguide of African American historic sites in the southwestern Pennsylvania region.
Called “Discover the Legacy: The African American Experience in Southwestern Pennsylvania,” and developed in collaboration with VisitPittsburgh and other partners, the website features more than 100 sites important to the development of southwestern Pennsylvania’s African American community. Ten historical themes are represented in nine southwestern Pennsylvania counties, including the city of Pittsburgh. The tourguide also interfaces with the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission historical markers.
YPA is in the process of planning a public release of the printed tourguide, so stay tuned! In the meantime, here is the list of sites that will be featured in the forthcoming hardcopy of the tourguide:
Discover the Legacy
The VisitPittsburgh website link is here: Black History Tourguide
A WQED-TV special on the National Negro Opera Company, America’s first black opera company which began right here in Pittsburgh, won an Emmy Award in Fall 2009.
You can view the video here: http://www.wqed.org/ondemand/onq.php?id=614
YPA also created a Google Map of the historic sites here:
View Discover the Legacy in a larger map
Here are photos of the sites:
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| African American History Sites |
Thank you to all who made it possible, particularly the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and the PA Department of Community and Economic Development, the two agencies which underwrote the tourguide. Thanks to a collaboration with VisitPittsburgh (Colleen Kalchthaler) and a lot of hard work from Dr. Larry Glasco, Dawn Webb Turner (the 2009 Promise Award winner), Melody Farrin, John Burgess, Thea Young, Michael Bennett, and many others, this project is the product of a concentrated team effort.
Thank you for giving life to African American history!
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I am a resident of Whitsett and I am involved in our community organization. We are trying to obtain help in establishing the historic significance of our community with markers and the purchase of the original Whitsett homestead. Any information or guidance to help us acheive our goals would be greatly appreciated. Whitsett is ideally situated along the Greater Allegheny Passage (Yough River Trail). It has paved parking only 1 mile off route 51 just south of rte 70.