9 Public Land Destinations to Visit This Black History Month

The Sierra Club compiled a list of nine public land sites that play a significant role in preserving and celebrating Black history in the United States. “In addition to honoring significant places and celebrating the lives of these individuals, these sites remind the living how far we have come as a society, and what's at stake if we don’t continue to advocate for justice and equality,” writes Lindsey Botts, the digital editor for Sierra magazine. “Black people, their spaces, and their stories have left an indelible mark on society, and these sites commemorate that heritage.”

1. Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument, Sumner and Glendora, Mississippi, and Chicago, Illinois.
2. Home of Frederick Douglass, Washington, DC.
3. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, Washington, DC
4. George Washington Carver National Monument, Diamond, Missouri
5. Home of Mary McLeod Bethune, Washington, DC
6. Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park, Church Creek, Maryland
7. Biscayne National Park, Homestead, Florida
8. Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail, Alabama
9. Home of Medgar and Myrlie Evers, Jackson, Mississippi

But, Botts points out, “the story of national monuments and parks dedicated to Black history is far from complete.” Advocates are pushing for monument designation to preserve additional sites such as Black Wall Street in the Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa and the site of the 1908 Springfield, Illinois race riots.