Every February, Americans honor the contributions and achievements of African-American culture during Black History Month. The overwhelming response and support of what started as a weeklong celebration in 1926 helped expand the event to an entire month 50 years later when President Gerald Ford beckoned the country to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”
From abolition to suffrage to breaking barriers of all kinds, the Finger Lakes region has plenty of reasons to celebrate Black History Month. This winter, while you embark on your next Finger Lakes visit, spend some time reflecting on the rich local history. In recognition of the people and places that have shaped the area, we’ve put together five ideas to engage, inform, and inspire.
Each trip idea departs from the Ontario County Courthouse (27 N Main St., Canandaigua, N.Y.), well known for its notable impact on civil rights in the region.
1816 Farmington Quaker Meeting House
Distance from the Ontario County Courthouse: 20-minute drive
This stop brings you to a simple building that had a big role in the abolition movement. The 1816 Farmington Quaker Meeting House (230 Sheldon Road, Farmington, N.Y.) was the gathering site for many major reform movements in the 19th century. This pillar for African-American rights served as a stop for those seeking refuge and is now part of the National Parks Services’ Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.
The Ontario County Historical Society Museum
Distance from the Ontario County Courthouse: 5-minute drive
Did you know that Canandaigua is the home of Austin Steward, who escaped slavery at the age of 22 and helped many others do the same? Learn about his story and more at the Ontario County Historical Society (55 N Main St., Canandaigua, N.Y.), offering programs and exhibits rotating year-round and related to all kind of historical happenings not only in the county, but in the Finger Lakes region.
Mt. Hope Cemetery
Distance from the Ontario County Courthouse: 45-minute drive
Located on 196 acres of rolling hills and valleys, Mt. Hope Cemetery (1133 Mt Hope Ave., Rochester, N.Y.) is home to thousands of marble, bronze, and granite monuments, including one of Frederick Douglass, an African-American pastor and newspaper editor who became a powerful voice for abolition and a pioneering conductor on the Underground Railroad. His gravesite serves as an indelible reminder of the legacy he left.
The Harriet Tubman Home
Distance from the Ontario County Courthouse: 60-minute drive
The last stop on the tour is the home of one of the most iconic women in the history of the United States, Harriet Tubman. Tubman was a force for good who helped many escape to freedom as they passed through several Underground Railroad stations established in Ontario County after 1850. The Harriet Tubman Home (180 South St., Auburn, N.Y.) is a historical monument to the fearless abolitionist and Underground Railroad conductor who was known as the “Moses of Her People.” The home, open Tuesday through Saturday, offers daily tours detailing the impact of Tubman’s quest for freedom, suffrage, humanism and more. The 32-acre property in Auburn, NY, is the perfect culmination of Black History Month and a stop not to be missed.
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