black history walking tours nyc

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Black Gotham Experience

Interactive walking tours. Talks. Events. Art. Experience New York’s history through stories of the African Diaspora. Historian and artist Kamau Ware created Black Gotham Experience to bring stories missing from the collective consciousness to life in immersive new ways. Revisit 1623 Manhattan and move forward through three centuries via unique tours including Other Side of Wall Street and Sarah’s Fire. Stay tuned for the return of community events at BGX’s studio space on Front Street.

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"You Are Here" - Black History Walking Tours of Lower Manhattan & Harlem

You Are Here Walking Tours LLC

NYC Slavery & the Underground Railroad Walking Tour

Quick Details

Calendar Schedule: Mar – Oct: Wed & Sat | Nov – Feb: Sat

Hour Glass Duration: 2.5 hours (1.5 mi/2.4 km)

Clock Departure Time: 1 p.m. EST on Sat | 11.am. EST on Wed

Learn the exciting history of how a band of brave men and women formed the networks that became the Underground Railroad. Visit an archeological site and memorial dedicated to the memory of enslaved Africans in colonial America. View a former station of the Underground Railroad. Learn about the riots, revolts, and dramatic escapes that occurred during the era of American slavery. Listen to tales of courage and triumph and discover the stories of real New Yorkers who risked their lives and properties to help people escape slavery on this historical New York City walking tour.

Tour Highlights:

• Learn the exciting history of how a band of brave men and women formed the networks that became the Underground Railroad.
• Explore Lower Manhattan sites relevant to the slave trade from Battery Park to Wall Street to the African Burial Ground.
• Learn about the early African-American history of New York and how African-Americans impacted the creation of the city.
• View historic sites like Fraunces Tavern, Trinity Church, Federal Hall, NYC Stock Exchange, Wall Street, and the African Burial Ground National Memorial.
• Enjoy this tour as featured on ABC News, Netflix, the New York Times, NBC News, Newsday, and Amsterdam News, and the NY Times best-selling book “How the Word is Passed.”

This Tour is Celebrated in a New York Times Best-seller

Have you heard? We’ve been featured in New York Times best-selling book How the Word is Passed by Clint Smith! In the book, Clint highlights our tour and uses it to create wide-eyed moments for readers when unveiling unknown truths about slavery and its imprint on centuries of American history. Hear those stories yourself at their source and engage with our guides as you learn more about our shared but untold history.

This slavery in New York City tour is wheelchair-accessible.

• This tour is included in the New York Pass, Go City All-inclusive Pass and Explorer Pass.
• Pass customers please visit the page and follow the instruction to make a reservation.

Meeting & End Locations

• Meet your guide in front of the Museum of the American Indian – 1 Bowling Green, New York, NY 10004
• The guide will be holding up a Red, Inside Out Tours Flag .
• Tour ends at African Burial Ground National Monument – Broadway between Duane Street and Reade Street.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Chevron down How do I reserve the tour using my Attraction Pass?
•  If you are booking with a Go City PASS (Including New York Pass, All Inclusive Pass, or Explorer Pass),  please book the tour from the page below:  https://insideouttours.com/book-with-pass/
• If pass holders select the wrong option and purchase full-price tickets and you will  NOT  receive a refund and will  NOT  be able to exchange paid tickets for a pass reservation. To book using a pass, please select visit this  page  & follow the booking instructions to make a reservation with a Pass.
• Chevron down Can I reschedule my reservation?

Reschedule requests must be made with a minimum of 48 hours’ advance notice and will receive the opportunity to reschedule based on the availability. All requests must be put in writing and received by us. Please email us at [email protected].

• Chevron down I'm running late, what should I do?

Once a tour has started we cannot delay for late arrivals or interrupt a tour guide so that latecomers may find them, as this adversely affects the tour experience for others. Please call 800-258-7359 and we’ll do our best to help you.

• Chevron down What happens in inclement weather?

Our tours run rain or shine. In the case of severe inclement weather, tours will be canceled and a full refund will be provided. Please email us at –  regarding tour cancellation. You may also call 1-800-258-7359 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. from Monday – Friday.

• Our tours run rain or shine. In the case of severe inclement weather, tours will be canceled and a full refund will be provided. Please  email us here  with questions regarding tour cancellation. You may also call 1-800-258-7359 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Monday – Friday.
• Chevron down Do tour guides accept gratuities?

Gratuities are accepted and greatly appreciated. They’re a great way to tell your guide they did an awesome job and show your appreciation.

• Chevron down More Questions?

Check out Frequently Asked Questions  for more details.

Or contact us here!

If you're ever visiting NYC, I highly recommend taking Inside Out Tours' 'the Slavery and Underground Railroad Walking Tour' which is one of the tours featured in HOW THE WORD IS PASSED. I learned a ton and it was really well done.

So glad I took this tour. Real history is revealed and the end of the tour was so moving to me. I would highly recommend this to people who want to learn some things that were not taught to you in school.

Excellent tour, so informative and eye-opening, our group loved it and would definitely recommend it to others considering.

Black Gotham walking tours will lead you through New York's untold history

Feb 7, 2022 • 3 min read

The Black Gotham Experience incorporates tours, talks and art to educate about New York's little known black history © AzmanL / Getty Images

What was once a single walking tour exploring the hidden history of African Americans living in New York during the colonial era has since expanded to an organization that uses art, storytelling and a roster of walking tours to educate the public about moments in New York's Black history that rarely talked about. 

The origin story of artist and educator Kamau Ware’s organization,  Black Gotham Experience , which offers a series of walking tours and talks that explore little known moments and contributions of Black New Yorkers since the colonial era, started with a simple question.

He was working as an educator and tour guide at the Tenement Museum in lower Manhattan, regaling visitors with the history and struggles of German Jewish and Italian immigrants in lower Manhattan when an African American student on his tour asked “Where were the black people?” 

African Americans are often left out of conversations about American history in instances other than slavery and the Civil Rights Movement. This is especially true in Northern cities in the US like New York.

Walking through history

To combat this gap in historical knowledge, Ware created a series of tours and talks that delve into the history of African Americans in New York. The four walks cover the history of Black New York starting in 1623 and moving forward through three centuries.

The organization has two more walks in the works and Ware himself often leads talks on the subject of black history, art and the essential but often overlooked contributions that people seen as “other” have made to the city of New York and America as a whole. 

Black Gotham Experience tours

Black Gotham Experience, or BGX for short, offers four distinct tours to visitors all of which last around 90 minutes:

Other Side of Wall Street  covers the area in Manhattan that in 1643 was called the “Land of the Blacks” by the Dutch who settled in the area. The tour, which starts in Washington Square Park near the southern end of the Arch, delves into the history and fate of this community, which was the first free Black community in NewYork.

Sarah’s Fire  follows the life of an enslaved woman named Sarah who lived in New York in 1712. Sarah was one of 29 people who took place in a black rebellion at that time and the tour, which starts at the BGX main office at 192 Front Street, uses her story as a vehicle for talking about slavery in the city during this time period. 

Caesar’s Rebellion  tells the story of the 1741 rebellion known as “the Great Negro Plot.” It elaborates on how an enslaved Black man named Caesar helped to organize the underclass of enslaved Africans and indentured Europeans in order to push back against injustice. This tour begins in front of the Museum of the American Indian at 1 Bowling Green.

Fighting Dark  was a tour originally commissioned by The Shed , a New York city cultural center located in Hudson Yards . The tour covers the 1863 riots and the treatment of the “Colored Troops 20th Infantry,” black New Yorkers who enlisted in the Union Army during the Civil War. This tour starts at the Tweed Courthouse at 52 Chambers Street. 

How to book a Black Gotham Tour

All tours are led by trained guides and occasionally by Ware himself. They are currently only available via private group bookings of five or more and prices vary by sector. Contact the organization directly at [email protected] to set up tours or talks.

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This black history museum could change the way the USA sees its past The Met launches virtual art exhibition with augmented reality An exhibit celebrating 400 years of African American culinary history is coming to New York

This article was first published Feb 5, 2021 and updated Feb 7, 2022.

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A new walking tour across Manhattan and Brooklyn dives into the history of Black resilience in NYC

Expect to visit 11 historically significant sites.

Looking for ways to celebrate Black History Month while exploring this great city of ours? A new self-guided walking tour showcasing 11 sites across Manhattan and Brooklyn might be just the thing for you.

The endeavor is presented by the Shed, the art center in Hudson Yards, and focuses on New York's history of racial violence, specifically diving into the story of the 1863 riots.

The audio tour—which can be taken by folks currently in New York or listened-to from anywhere online—is called "Fighting Dark" and it is accompanied by a short film narrated by artist Kamau Ware, founder of local art studio The Back Gotham Experience.

"Collectively our country has focused on the racial violence inflicted on free Black communities in the South after the Civil War, specifically during the Reconstruction Era," said Ware in an official press release announcing the program. "The insurrection that took place in the streets of New York City the week of July 13th, 1863, less than two weeks after the Battle of Gettysburg, was a blueprint for disenfranchising Black people before the Reconstruction Amendments were drafted. This racial violence has been hiding in plain sight with the incorrect label of 'draft riots' for over a century and a half."

Among the highlighted stops are the African Burial Ground National Monument, in downtown Manhattan, and Weeksiville, a historic neighborhood in Crown Heights that was established by free African Americans back in 1838.

You can expect the visual portion of the project to debut in the upcoming weeks. The walking tour, on the other hand, is already available for free streaming right here .

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Black Gotham Experience walking tours bring you into a reconstructed New Netherland and British New York. Participants witness the impact of the African Diaspora on the making of New York City and the birth of the United States of America through real people whose images have been erased. Insight and empathy allow emotional connections to these character-based stories that stay with you after the tour ends.

Walking tours are available as private and public experiences. Public tours are organized in Fall, Spring, and Summer seasons which include special events such as open studios, talks, and exhibitions.   

Other Side of Wall Street (1624-1664)

Length: 1.5 hrs | meet up at washington square park under the arch at 5th avenue.

The first of five in the core stories of the Black Gotham Experience starts in 1643 with the beginning of a small town known as Land of the Blacks right outside the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam. By 1655, the Land of the Blacks was over twice the size of SoHo today and it continued to exist after the English take the island from the Dutch, making it the first free Black community in New York. This walking tour explains how this community started and how it continued to exist into the 18th century. Other Side of Wall Street concludes on the first day of British New York in September 1664.

Sarah’s Fire (1664 – 1712)

Length: 1.5 hrs | meet up at the bgx studio on 192 front street in manhattan.

The second of five in the core stories of the Black Gotham Experience starts in 1664 in the small town known as Land of the Blacks on day two of British New York. Sarah’s Fire is a tale set on the southern tip of the island Manhattan that is home to both free and enslaved Black people. This walking tour illustrates the peculiar universe of urban slavery in a port city with deep ties to the sugar plantations of the West Indies. A key persona in this story is an enslaved woman named Sarah who is one of 29 people that participate in the first militarized Black rebellion on the island of Manhattan on April 6 1712.

Caesar’s Rebellion (1712 – 1765)

Length: 1.5 hrs |  meet up in front of bowling green park in lower manhattan in front of the museum of the american indian.

The third of five in the core stories of the Black Gotham Experience starts in 1712 in the wake of more slave codes passed in British New York. The port city of New York has shifting political and class divisions that shape the environment of the enslaved leading up to the 1730s. Although stricter laws have been passed to limit Black life, the population of enslaved Africans continues to increase as does poor European indentures creating a large and loosely organized underclass that seek change. The result is a rebellion in 1741 known as “the Great Negro Plot” which is documented in a New York Supreme Court. The extensive journal by one of the justices stitches together a plot that evolved around a charismatic enslaved Black figure named Caesar. This journal gives an insightful look into slavery, colonial law, class, and politics.

Length: 1.5 hrs |  Meet up in front of The Apollo Theater in Harlem

Kuzaliwa brings you into the Harlem Renaissance. Kuzaliwa is a suite of creative works by the Black Gotham Experience that reflect upon the legacies of the Harlem Renaissance in the twenty-first century. Grounded by physical spaces in Harlem, connections within African diasporic culture Kuzaliwa emphasizes noting the relevance of Black creativity and political awakening on the island of Manhattan. We highlight Harlem as a space of flourishing Black culture and artistry unbounded by the narrow confines of historic eras. In naming this celebration “Kuzaliwa,” a Swahili word meaning “birth,” we also embrace Harlem as a place of encounter and imagination for thinkers and artists from across the African Diaspora.

C itizen Hope Part  (1765-1838)

Citizen Hope is one of BGX’s final public walking tours. Situated in the temporal space of the revolutionary era circa mid to late 18th to mid 19th centuries, and traversing three different geographical locales along the trans Atlantic slave trade, including North America, France and Saint Domingo (now Haiti), Citizen Hope examines the contributions that enslaved people made to the modern notion of freedom, rights, and citizenship, while also grappling with the contradictory nature of these terms, particularly as it pertains to the black diaspora within the Black Atlantic.

State of Mirrors (1838-1883)

The finale of the five core stories of the Black Gotham Experience starts in New York City 1862. The United States of America is deeply divided on the matter of slavery and what to do with millions of Black people who are demanding freedom along with their European allies. State of Mirrors illustrates how the founding of the original states and the expansion of the country, similar to New York State, have connections to the African Diaspora. Simultaneously, this story follows how New York City, which is the nation’s first Capital, sets a tone for future generations that will replace true origin stories with mythologies that justify inequality.

Fighting Dark (1863)

Length: 1.5 hrs | meet at tweed court house at 52 chambers street ny, ny 10007.

Fighting Dark  speaks to a  dark  side of American history as well as the dark-skinned people who have been impacted by it, especially the Black New Yorkers who fled in the dark of night during the 1863 riots and those who enlisted in the Union Army during the Civil War in what was called the “Colored Troops 20th Infantry” from New York City. This walk provides a platform to draw out lessons on how Black people find resilience in the face of racial violence.

As Above So Below

Length: 1.5 hrs | meet at african burial monument at 290 broadway, ny,ny, 10007.

As Above So Below  reveals connections between sacred and historic spaces of the African Diaspora in the Lower Manhattan section of New York City.  This walk has an emphasis on the African Burial Ground Commons and Historic District featuring the African Burial Ground Memorial, Black Lives Matter Plaza and the Triumph of the Human Spirit Monument. The original project was initiated by Kamau Ware, Founder of Black Gotham Experience (BGX) with Architect and Designer Rodney Leon, commissioned by the  Lower Manhattan Cultural Council

Step Into the Past with Black History Walking Tour of Civil War–Era NYC

A free, self-guided audio tour explores 19th-century racial violence and Black resilience in New York City.

By Zac Thompson

February 19, 2021

Though never the site of any Civil War battles in the conventional sense, New York City became a flash point in the conflict during July 1863, as detailed in a new historical audio tour for walkers in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Rather than the result of clashing armies, the mayhem that erupted in New York that summer distilled the country’s crisis into a fury of racial violence targeting the city’s Black population.  

Commissioned by The Shed cultural center at Hudson Yards, Fighting Dark is a free, self-guided tour featuring audio narration written and voiced by Kamau Ware, an artist and storyteller whose Black Gotham Experience offers guided walks, talks, and multimedia events chronicling Black history in the city well before the better-documented era of the Harlem Renaissance.

The subject of the tour is the domestic disturbance usually known as the Draft Riots, which began on July 11, 1863, with a protest by mostly Irish and other working-class immigrants against conscription in the Union Army. (The rioters were working class because the law permitted draftees to buy their way out of military service for $300, an amount only the wealthy could afford.)

Ware objects to the “Draft Riots” label, though, because, he says, it’s a way to “obfuscate the racial violence against Black bodies” that was, in fact, the week’s defining feature. 

“If you call it a Draft Riot,” he told me, “you basically name just the first six hours of four or five days of activities. By 4 o’clock on Monday afternoon, Black people were a consistent target.” 

The riot would not begin to subside until Thursday. By then, more than 100 people were dead, and, according to historian Leslie M. Harris , at least 11 Black men had been lynched, Black-owned homes and businesses had been torched, and untold thousands of Black New Yorkers, as well as some white abolitionists and others viewed as sympathetic to African Americans (such as white women married to Black men), had been beaten, tortured, and otherwise terrorized by frenzied mobs.  

Fighting Dark recounts the events in sometimes harrowing detail, starting with the tour’s first stop, the former site of the Colored Orphan Asylum at Fifth Avenue and 43rd Street near Bryant Park   in Midtown Manhattan. The building was ransacked and burned on the first day of the riots—miraculously, all of the more than 200 children who lived there survived. A vacant lot catty-corner from an Urban Outfitters and the North Face is all that remains today. 

“It’s been 158 years and New York City still has not marked any of the locations where the [violence] took place,” Ware points out.

As the tour moves to Lower Manhattan (you’ll need to take the subway or a cab), Ware supplies a deeply layered account of the buildup to the riots. During a stop at City Hall Park  ( between Broadway and Park Row ), the narration explains how Southern-sympathizing newspapers once located nearby stoked racist resentment, while a visit to Tweed Courthouse ( 52 Chambers St. ), named after notorious politician William “Boss” Tweed, gives Ware occasion to describe how the Tammany Hall machine weaponized Irish workers in fear of competition for jobs from emancipated Black Southerners streaming northward.

He also covers the riots’ aftermath. There are stirring examples of Black resilience, such as the enlistment of New York State’s first African American troops, commemorated with the inclusion of a Black soldier among the sculptures on the Arc de Triomphe–esque Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial Arch  ( pictured at top ) at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn (requiring another subway or taxi ride).

As in the racist terror killings that took place in the South after Reconstruction, the families of the victims of New York’s 1863 race riots didn’t get justice, and the rioters faced few, if any, legal consequences. I asked Ware if the whole thing played like a dry run for Jim Crow.

“More than a dry run,” he answered. “This is where the recipe was created. Because New York is in the North we don’t look at it that way, but you can’t understand white supremacy just looking below Virginia.”

You can listen to the audio tour from anywhere by visiting The Shed’s website  and clicking the thumbnail for each stop on the route; an accompanying film will soon be archived there as well. But the nuanced, prismatic effect of Fighting Dark is best experienced on your feet. 

For Ware, walking to historical places is a way of not just recovering the past but “embodying” it, which he thinks can be a catalyst for taking meaningful action in the here and now. 

“Walking is something we all take for granted,” Ware told me. “We often minimize an effort by calling it baby steps. But I remind people, as a father who’s watched a baby work hard for those steps, baby steps aren’t easy. Steps come together and build a journey, and then, when the journey’s over, let that all sit with you and have some results afterwards. Okay, you burned some calories, but hopefully you also have some new insights that tingle after the experience.”

The Shed’s Fighting Dark audio tour can be heard for free at TheShed.org . The 11-stop itinerary starts in Midtown Manhattan, then goes to Lower Manhattan and concludes in Brooklyn. Google maps can be downloaded with the audio to help you find each location and public transit links.  

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Watch CBS News

Black History Is Our History: Self-Guided Walking Tours Highlight History Of Black Composers, Musicians Around NYC

February 11, 2021 / 7:01 PM EST / CBS New York

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- As we celebrate Black History Month , we continue to learn more about the richness of the history and culture hidden in New York City.

CBS2's Hazel Sanchez tells us about a new program designed to help discover more about the city's musical legacy.

There's a captivating baritone on the steps of a brownstone in the middle of Harlem.

Even more impressive, soloist Kenneth Overton is singing lyrics by the famed Harlem renaissance writer and poet Langston Hughes on the very site of his former home.

"I get to sing the music of some of my literary heroes as well as some of my musical heroes, and to combine that with New York City and Black history, it's just a win-win," Overton told CBS2's Hazel Sanchez.

It's all part of a project by "On Site Opera" called "The Road We Came." It's a free app designed to showcase composers, musicians and places that highlight the rich Black history of New York City through a series of self-guided, musical walking tours.

• Read More Black History Month Stories

CBS2 started a tour at the Langston Hughes House on East 127th Street and met the current owners, who took us look inside.

Overton just couldn't resist singing inside the home, too.

"I hope that the audience connects in a visceral way, they understand and hear these words in a way that might be different from just reading them in the book," he said.

Eric K. Washington is a historian who narrates the tours.

"If you're interested in discovering aspects of the Black experience in New York that you're not aware of, great music by Black composers... It's just a wonderful way to tour the city, either on foot or from your armchair, or both," he said.

Eric Einhorn, artistic director of On Site Opera, explained how the tours work.

"Download the app to their phone, and then when they get to the location they open the tour and just like a regular GPS," Einhorn said. "The tour will take you from spot to spot. It'll show you the route you have to take, and then when you get to the locations another window will pop up with information about that particular spot."

Another Uptown stop was the Schomburg for a deeper dive into the music of the Harlem Renaissance by composers like Leslie Adams and Margaret Bonds, one of the first Black composers to gain recognition in the U.S.

The three musical walking tours will take people through Harlem, Midtown and lower Manhattan, where the historical journey begins at the African Burial Ground National Monument.

The two and a half mile Midtown tour has stops at Carnegie Hall and then up to Lincoln Center, where the Metropolitan Opera will open their season with the first work presented by Black composer Terence Blanchard.

It also re-introduces an area as San Juan Hill, once renowned for dance halls and jazz clubs. The tour features music by artists like ragtime great Eubie Blake.

"People who participate will walk away with a little bit more insight into Black contributions in New York. They will meet a host of other people that they didn't know," Washington said.

Music and history enriching them every step of the way.

For more information, visit osopera.org/productions/theroadwecame .

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'Black Gotham' Walking Tour Uncovers Black History of NYC

It’s nearing 7 p.m. in the Financial District, one of the most southern parts of Manhattan and home to the New York Stock Exchange and the Federal Reserve of New York. The air is cool and crisp as fall signals its arrival. Suited up traders and office workers rush to retire for the evening. The crowds thin as tourists meander capturing end-of-day shots of some of the city’s most historic sites including City Hall and the iconic Charging Bull.

As many are wrapping up their day, Kamau Ware is preparing for his interactive tour, Caesar’s Rebellion, part of the three narratives included in The Black Gotham Experience. Armed with his iPhone, portable projector and well-worn tour binder, the artist, historian is ready to give a history lesson that is often overlooked-- the story of free blacks during 17th century New York.

A small crowd gathers around him at the steps of The National Museum of the American Indian as he begins the journey. In his pocket are carefully wrapped oyster shells and character cards that will help participants draw a physical connection to the characters they are about to virtually meet.

“This is our story. The Black Gotham Experience begins in 1600’s with blacks actually paving Broadway."

For Ware, this project began several years ago and connects to when he first landed in New York City. The aspiring artist hoped to feed his passion for the arts — a love he pursued as young child growing up in Pittsburgh.

His first impression of the city that launched the careers of great artists like Gordon Parks and Jean Paul Basquiat was significant, “The art scene is vibrant and layered here. You need to be in a place where you can do everything. This is this that place. You are not the only person doing everything. I began to be more of a consumer [of art] and that was refreshing.”

His first gig was a storyteller/educator with New York City's Tenement Museum. He led hundreds of tourists and students through the city’s extensive history—marked by rich stories of immigrants that landed there generations ago.

Sharing tales of human triumph through the lens of the Irish, German, Jewish and Italian immigrants. Ware understood the value of these stories and he built a solid repertoire of European immigrant history, but something was missing.

Closing a tour in 2008, a young black girl asked, “Where were the Black people?”

Ware had to uncover that answer.

It took an incredible amount of research and hours pouring over historical texts and documentation, but the young historian uncovered something profound. “Black Gotham narrates the black presence and experience in New York City,” shares Ware. “This is our story. The Black Gotham Experience begins in 1600’s with blacks actually paving Broadway. The time when black men were physically laying the foundation for the city of New York. From 1643-1712, there was a free black community—domestic workers, entrepreneurs and oyster men.”

“It is older than the United States. I wanted people to know that black people were here before Harlem. What about their names? We’re talking about thousands of people and they are relevant. They built the foundation of New York.”

Initially, when the three-part tour first launched in 2010, the reception was lukewarm, “Things didn’t bite. At $20 per ticket, the tour was not making the money. So I did more photography work and Black Gotham was idle.”

RELATED: Sixteen Must Reads by Black Authors for 2016

His wife Lesley, also an artist and working in corporate America, at the time, and the couple’s schedules were growing hectic, “My research landed me with a lot of information. It was almost too much to be condensed into one project or tour. So I thought what if I did a graphic novel - it could be entertaining, beautiful and represent all of my loves- photography, entrepreneurship and history? Everyone can participate.”

That’s exactly what Ware did. Last year, he launched a Kickstarter campaign to support the production of his first book Other Side of Wall Street , part of The Black Gotham Experience graphic novel collection including Caesar’s Rebellion , and Citizen and Hope .

Fully backed, the Wares and their team work from their Red Hook studio in Brooklyn researching and designing the visual stories of characters for each story. Lesley serves as costume director for the project and Tann Parker who plays ‘Catalina’ and designed both of her character’s dresses. The completed project is set for release in 2016.

The tours have relaunched and the public is expressing profound interest in this piece of American history.

As the group takes their final paces on the worn cobblestone streets of lower Manhattan some of the most prolific history is covered during the 90-minute tour, detailing the intersection of blacks from West Africa and the Caribbean with the Dutch and the British. A story that goes unknown by many, and that is what Kamau Ware is attempting to change.

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Black Gotham Experience fills in the blanks of Black history one step at a time

NEW YORK (WABC) -- History is built into the sidewalks of New York City. One company based on movement is hoping to bring an educational shift to the city.

The Black Gotham Experience (BGX) is working to fill in the blanks when it comes to Black history and its direct link to New York City's complicated past.

"New York City is really a historical Black city. If you understand New York without understanding the Black history, you probably just think about lights, big city, it's much more than that," said Kamau Ware, an artist and historian who founded BGX.

BGX hosts walking tours throughout the city in an effort to educate everyone from local elementary schoolers to tourists about the history under their very feet.

For example, at Water and Wall Street in Manhattan there once was a thriving slave market.

The 90-minute guided walks hosted by BGX are designed to remap your mind. In total, there are five different walks to choose from.

The first of the walks highlights history from the 1620's.

"We often wait until we get to the 1800's and mention very important luminaries that are black and orators and abolitionists but before there was even a British empire, there were black people on this island," said Ware.

One walk, titled Sara's Fire, tells the story of the first recorded slave rebellion in New York City back in 1712.

"I like meeting people who are drawn to this type of ethos around education and storytelling that's a really unique gumbo you're not going to find this concoction in many cities," said Ware.

An ethos that BGX abides by, filling in the blanks of history one step at a time.

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Black History & Culture in New York City

⭐To help even more students experience this trip, we’re giving travelers $200 off the total price if they sign up early. Teachers, get in touch today to learn more. ⭐

Explore African-American history in the cultural capital of the world. Visit the site of the Harlem Renaissance and the historic neighborhood that hosted such famous African-Americans as Count Basie, Malcolm X and Ralph Ellison.

Day 1: New York City

Take a walking tour of Midtown

• United Nations Headquarters
• Grand Central Terminal
• Fifth Avenue
• Rockefeller Center
• St. Patrick's Cathedral

Enjoy views of New York City from one its iconic skyscrapers, which may include:

• Edge at Hudson Yards
• Empire State Building Observatory
• One World Observatory

Day 2: New York City

Take a guided tour of Central Park and the former site of Seneca Village

Take the Circle Line Statue of Liberty Cruise

Explore Lower Manhattan on a Slavery and Underground Railroad tour

• African Burial Ground National Monument
• Fraunces Tavern
• Trinity Church

Day 3: New York City

Take a guided tour of Harlem

• Apollo Theater
• Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine
• Strivers' Row

Enjoy an included lunch in Harlem

Participate in a workshop at the National Museum of Jazz Music in Harlem 

Visit Times Square

Attend a theatre show (based on a select list of current shows)

Day 4: New York City

Visit the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

Depart for home

Lead this tour at the lowest price

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Your experience includes

Round-trip transportation, hotel accommodations, overnight security, all gratuities, guided tours and activities, full-time tour director, training and support, traveler resources, 24-hour emergency service.

Round-trip transportation on major carriers; comfortable motorcoach throughout the tour.

Overnight stays in safe, quality hotels.

Security guards on watch nightly.

Breakfast and dinner daily; lunch can also be included.

Tips included for your Tour Director, bus driver, licensed guides, restaurant and hotel staff.

Sightseeing tours led by expert and licensed local guides; tickets to all activities.

Your Tour Director stays with your group 24/7, providing local insight and knowledge, while handling every on-tour detail.

We prepare new Group Leaders on a free Training Tour and provide personal support every step of the way.

We offer travelers flexible payment options as well as a dedicated support team to manage finances and answer tour questions.

Travelers and their families can count on EF's dedicated emergency service team while on tour.

Expert Tour Planning

Your dedicated EF team provides expertise every step of the way—from recruiting and enrolling travelers to planning and managing your tour.

Personalized Learning Support

Our personalized learning experience engages students before, during and after tour, with the option to create a final, reflective project for academic credit.

Illness and Accident Coverage

Rest easier knowing your travelers are covered on tour with EF's comprehensive coverage plan.

$50 Million Liability Policy

Group Leaders and schools are protected while on tour.

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• New York City

This Walking Tour Around NYC Highlights an Often-forgotten Moment in Black History

The tour focuses on the city's history of racial violence as well as "the power of Black resilience

A new walking tour of New York City is shedding light on an important moment in history that isn't taught very much in schools.

In honor of Black History Month , The Shed art center is offering a self-guided online audio tour and accompanying short film called Fighting Dark , which features narration by artist Kamau Ware and tells the story of New York City's 1863 race riots. The tour focuses on the city's history of racial violence as well as "the power of Black resilience.

The tour itself showcases 11 sites in both Manhattan and Brooklyn that were significant to the riots. People who are in the New York City area can take themselves on a walking tour of the sites, or anyone can enjoy the tour from home. The tour covers the 100 years between the riots of 1863 and the May 1963 Children's Crusade in Birmingham, Alabama. Events and sites covered in the tour provide some extra context to The Shed's current exhibition, Howardena Pindell: Rope/Fire/Water .

"We commissioned this piece from Kamau because we wanted to ensure that we could contextualize Howardena Pindell's work, particularly the central video work Rope/Fire/Water , within the streets and the history (and present) of racial violence (and resilience) in our own city," said Solana Chetman, Director of Civic Programs, in a statement .

The 1863 riots are often known as the New York City draft riots, though some historians have found this term to largely be a misnomer. While the riots were once considered a reaction to the draft, a deeper look into the events tell a story about a violent clash instigated by white New Yorkers and directed at the free Black New Yorkers against the backdrop of the American Civil War .

"Collectively our country has focused on the racial violence inflicted on free Black communities in the South after the Civil War, specifically during the Reconstruction Era," said Kamau Ware in a statement. "The insurrection that took place in the streets of New York City the week of July 13th, 1863, less than two weeks after the Battle of Gettysburg, was a blueprint for disenfranchising Black people before the Reconstruction Amendments were drafted. This racial violence has been hiding in plain sight with the incorrect label of 'draft riots' for over a century and a half."

By unpacking the dark history of race in America, and particularly in New York City, The Shed hopes that "people will take the time to walk, listen, learn, reflect, gain awareness, get inspired, and continue (or start) taking action in t heir own ways," said Chetman.

For more information or to take the tour, visit the Fighting Dark page on The Shed website.

Andrea Romano is a freelance writer in New York City. Follow her on Twitter @theandrearomano.

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Black Gotham Experience

Location & Hours

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192 Front St

New York, NY 10038

John St & Fulton St

South Street Seaport, Financial District

Serving New York Area

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Black Gotham Experience is an immersive visual storytelling project that celebrates the impact of the African Diaspora on New York City and beyond. We explore these stories through interactive walking tours, a developing series of graphic novels, weekly events, and our space in the Seaport District. We weave together art, research, fashion and entertainment to give you a new perspective on New York and the world. …

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The Black Gotham Experience tours are a unique experience that will change how you see NYC. Kamau is able to transport you back to another time in NYC, but he also expertly ties NYC's black history to the NYC we know today. If you can, I suggest going on all three tours, because they all tie together without being repetitive. But each tour is a stand-alone experience and fascinating story. Each of the tours I went on had a different dynamic based on how many people were on the tour and the energy and knowledge level of the group. I would do all three tours a second and third time. Nerdy Thursday is fun too with great people. So, whether you're visiting from out of town, or a long-time New Yorker, the Black Gotham Experience will teach you something new and introduce you to a side of NYC you won't forget!

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Brittney J. said "Loved discussing art & culture with a warm, thoughtful, welcoming group. No pretension, just curiosity and enthusiasm at this well-planned, inspiring event. Looking forward to joining more!" read more

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Do It For the Culture! Unique Black-Owned New York City Tourist Experiences You Have to Try

One of Airbnb’s most popular features, Airbnb Experiences , is still not widely known to many travelers. In addition to home and room rentals, you can also use the site to search for unique experiences in the cities you’re traveling to or living in.The offerings go well beyond your typical sightseeing tour, and many of the experiences offer custom video trailers to show you exactly what you’re paying for. Planning a trip to New York City soon? The next time you visit the Big Apple, support these small Black businesses and enjoy one (or more) of these once in a lifetime experiences.

Harlem-based host Maxine’s roots in the area date back to the 50s and 60s to the soul food restaurants and grocery store her family owned there. After winning a business competition with Harlem Business Alliance, she founded Bike Harlem . With Maxine as their guide, guests will bike through the bustling streets of the New Harlem Renaissance. “I’ve curated churches, jazz clubs, historic architecture, and eateries showcasing some of the area’s most significant icons,” says Maxine. Culture plus exercise? Sign us up, please!

What will Black travelers enjoy most about your experience?

Harlem is one of the most beautiful and historical neighborhoods in Manhattan. Some of the greats of the African American diaspora lived, worked and played in the same streets we explore during this experience. Black travelers will enjoy biking through Harlem with a local while learning about the community’s interesting past and feel firsthand the new Harlem Renaissance currently taking place.   How do you feel that it contributes to cultural learning? There is a sense of pride I get living in Harlem. Travelers learn about Harlem from how the community began and became coined “Black Capital of America” to the current gentrification that is happening in Harlem. You can’t talk about American history without talking about African American history in which Harlem played a significant role.   Why did you choose to share this experience with travelers? I am so in love with Harlem and it was my goal to share this love. Through solo travel around the world, I gained a passion for taking bike tours. The tours provided an inside look at the history and culture of the places I’ve visited. Through these experiences is where I decided I wanted to share my love for Harlem and that was when I began the brainstorming for I Bike Harlem LLC. I wanted to provide a fun and active way for travelers to experience my neighborhood while learning about Harlem’s dynamic history, culture and most importantly, experiencing the delicious food. When I curated the tour, it was important for me to support local businesses and landmarks by ensuring the tours make stops at these places. Airbnb Experiences has helped I Bike Harlem reach a broader range of travelers who are interested in exploring the riches of Harlem.

What makes it just as perfect for locals as it is for tourists? Locals have the opportunity to learn about the amazing community they live in, with a local tour guide who is very involved in the community. It will help them form a whole new respect for the history and soul of our neighborhood.   What’s your best tip for booking this experience? Be sure to book in advance of your travels because the tour tends to fill quickly.   Book this experience here .

Put your smartphone down and let your inner street photographer come to life with a little help from host Jean Andre, a Harlem native, and analog portrait photographer. After meeting you for coffee, he’ll walk you through the streets of NYC and show you how to take a closer look at the people who walk them (his muses). You’ll learn the basics of operating a fully manual polaroid camera and walk away with your own street style portrait. Celebrities can’t resist this unique opportunity either – Jean Andre’s past guest include Common and Spike Lee.

What will Black travelers enjoy most about your experience? I believe Black travelers will enjoy learning my journey as a young Black professional and also hearing about the story on how I met my mentor Louis Mendes, a pillar in Black photography history with a contribution of 50 years to Polaroid photography.   How do you feel that it contributes to cultural learning? Polaroid photography contributes to cultural learning because it requires genuine interactions and connections between the photographer and subject to get the perfect portrait. Through my tour, I am sharing my personal story as well as teaching my craft to people from all over the world. I feel I have somewhat of a direct influence on their overall perception of New York City, so I like to showcase the hidden old stone blocks that tourists normally would not explore due to lack of access.   Why did you choose to share this particular experience with travelers?   The amount of positive feedback I have received since getting into shooting Polaroid Photography over eight years ago has motivated me to want to share its beauty with a broader audience especially since it is a rare medium.

What makes it just as perfect for locals as it is for tourists? A lot of my clientele outside of Airbnb are either New Yorkers or transit travelers who appreciate photography and or photographers themselves. I think the appeal lies in the style of the cameras I use. In a fast pace city where technology mostly dominates, it is somewhat refreshing for people to see me in their neighborhoods every day with these old cameras. It’s perfect for locals because they are able to also learn about this lost art form in their own backyard.   What’s your best tip for booking this experience? My best tip for booking this experience would be to just bring your best you, and I’ll do the rest.

Book this experience here !

Harlem-based Mikaila, who founded The Common Thread Project , knows her fashion and her culture. The ivy-league educated fashionista has a Ph.D. in anthropology and a passion for educating tourists about the history of Harlem’s fashion scene. Join her for a two-hour deep disco dive into the fashion scene/brands on Harlem’s iconic 125th Street and beyond. Yes, yes, yes!

What will Black travelers enjoy most about your experience? There are many things that make this tour special. For one, unlike most shopping tours, this tour is as much about the culture as it is about the clothing. Harlem is the black mecca of Manhattan, and it has a rich history. Not only will I take you to three or four boutiques featuring truly innovative Black designers, I will weave you an intricate tale of Harlem’s fashion history as we visit important landmarks like the Apollo Theatre and Harriet Tubman’s Memorial statue. In a time where everyone is wearing the same Zara dress, on this tour you are guaranteed to find a unique piece of clothing, with a rich story, made by an exciting new designer. You’ll be supporting your closet, a local black business, and your culture all in one fun day. Everyone wins.   How do you feel that it contributes to cultural learning? Harlem has been using fashion as a form of revolution since the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920’s. I’ll cover everything from how zoot-suits developed out of a resistance to World War II, all the way to today when amazing local Harlem designers like Dapper Dan are finally getting their due from luxury brands like Gucci. On this tour, you’ll get some interesting new cultural knowledge, but it won’t feel like a boring history lesson because you’ll be trying on fabulous pieces along the way.

Why did you choose to share this experience with travelers? In a time where the fashion industry is consistently failing black designers, I wanted to create an experience that celebrates them.   What makes it just as perfect for locals as it is for tourists? It’s my job as a fashion anthropologist to find the hidden style gems of a local community. That means I’ve done the work to find the BEST boutiques in Harlem. Sadly they don’t always get the exposure that bigger brands do. They’re so overlooked I have introduced Harlem boutiques to people living in Harlem. Even if you are already familiar with a boutique on my list, you’re probably not as familiar with its history, it’s mission, and the ways in which it’s designers are using fashion to make a real change for their families, their community, and New York City as a whole. I’ve interviewed and spent a lot of time with these artists, so even as a local, you’re going to experience their fashion in a whole new way.  It makes the shopping more satisfying when you know the story.   What’s your best tip for booking this experience? 1. Do it now. The resurgence of Dapper Dan has put Harlem fashion back on the map. Be part of this movement. Book this tour with friends. The best tours are with groups of people like alumni groups, book clubs, and sorority and fraternity groups. (Yup! I’ve got tons of men on this tour). The more the merrier.

Book this experience here .

Care for a shot of history to go with that cocktail on your next visit to New York City? Licenses tour guide and Airbnb host Rory welcomes guests on a three-hour walking tour through the immigrant progress toward the American Dream during Prohibition. The tour includes one of New York’s last-standing 1920s speakeasies and expertly told tales of the period’s most notorious gangsters and infamous bootleggers!

What will Black travelers enjoy most about this experience? Hope. The era jettisoned a lot of Blacks to a position of something beyond brunt force labor. They made money and lots of it. This was a time period where Black, Hispanic, female, Chinese, rich, poor, family or no, all came together under one roof to thrive. Because everyone was doing something illegal and opportunities were abundant.   How do you feel that it contributes to cultural learning? As a guide, I have a focus on immigration. Typically in the tourism world, that means “Ellis Island tours,” but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Every neighborhood is founded by a group of escaping or freed slaves. The evolution of the city is fantastic. And so we spend a lot of time on this tour touching on the Irish, blacks, and Germans. The relationship of these groups has changed significantly today and so we learn why and how and the dynamics of social constructs and oppression. Many are unaware of the origins of the word jazz and its influence during prohibition.   Why did you choose to share this experience with travelers? Prohibition was such a pivotal part of the history of New York that it’s almost impossible to be in a neighborhood and not touch on some aspects of the era.

What makes it just as perfect for locals as it is for tourists? For tourists, the drinking spots you will visit are crucial not only to the prohibition history but the authentic New York experience. For the New Yorker, you will be surprised at the destinations we venture into within the middle of Manhattan. Many New Yorkers have never been to all three spots. We will walk through the hustle and bustle of New York and then venture underground to some of the most fabulous hidden gems New York has to offer.

What’s your best tip for booking this experience? Book fast! Weekends sell out several weeks in advance. If you don’t see availability for the dates and times you’re interested in, message me via Airbnb and I’ll put you on the waiting list.

Our hats are off to this unique must-try experience. Host Brandon has been crafting hats for nearly a decade and he’s super passionate about keeping the craft alive. Brandon, the founder and head designer of B.M Franklin & Co., takes guests on a 2-hour adventure into the world of hat making . First, you’ll visit the Garment district to explore the materials and their history, then you’ll have a chance to meet the men and women who work diligently together as an intimate community to keep the art alive.

What will Black travelers enjoy most about this experience? I think most will enjoy the hands-on, interactive aspect of it. One part of the experience involves the group being in my shop and learning about the history of the craft, our business and where it’s going. They’re surrounded by not only product samples but also the tools that made them. We walk through the process of making a hat, and while this is happening, certain steps and techniques are executed by the guest. I believe this is important because the art of the hand-made has been making a strong resurgence and within our community, we need to be a part of this movement. There has been recent talk about there not being enough Black fashion designers or any at all that is on the level of any leading fashion house or designer. I believe not only does this need to change but it needs to be taken a step further meaning designers can be craftsmen/women as well, not just creative directors.   How do you feel that it contributes to cultural learning? In helping to create a sense of opportunity awareness in our community. I feel its important and educational to see through this experience that creating an opportunity for yourself is possible, it’s not easy, but it’s possible. Once that’s done here’s how we share it and teach others so that we continue to build up our African-American community as a whole and our community within the fashion and fashion-craft industry.

Why did you choose to share this experience with travelers? Because not only is it educational, but it builds awareness for the brand and the craft.  If the craft doesn’t get any awareness or exposure, then not only am I out of a job but so is every other craftsman.   What makes it just as perfect for locals as it is for tourists? New York is such a big city and you never know what’s happening behind the door or in then building next to you. Instead of going to brunch or doing the standard Saturday walk (because you’re hungover from Friday), you book an experience and you are now feeding your mind, body and creative soul with inspiration and education.  It also raises awareness amongst locals.

What’s your best tip for booking this experience? My best tip (aside from just book the experience trust me its fun!) is come with an open mind and creative spirit.

No fashionista visiting New York City can resist the hunt for a good vintage find. Host Angela, a personal stylist and founder of Style Closet Life , a sustainable styling service, is your go-to girl for all things vintage shopping in NYC. Allow her to take you on a two-hour tour of some of the most sought-after vintage shops in the city and listen up while she shares her stylist secrets on how to find vintage looks that fit your body and your style.

What will Black travelers enjoy most about your experience? The process of vintage shopping is a unique experience within itself. Between the dig, the scour and discovery, it serves as a way of unearthing one’s form of personal expression. Most travelers find the tour entertaining and are thankful to have a stylist on hand while shopping.

How do you feel that it contributes to cultural learning? My groups are always made up of people from all over the world. It’s a casual way to meet others and learn about their cultures while visiting the small shops that have grown within the community. As we walk from shop to shop, I share some local history and interesting facts about the neighborhood.

Why did you choose to share this experience with travelers? I wanted to show that vintage is not just dusty thrift stores. Cool vintage pieces can be found in boutique style shops that have a particular point of view, style, and impressive selection.

What makes it just as perfect for locals as it is for tourists? New Yorkers love to know about untapped shops to keep their style fresh. This tour shows them new places to get their clothes. Another bonus: When you mix vintage into your wardrobe, you won’t see your exact outfit walking down the street.

What’s your best tip for booking this experience? Come with an open mind and willingness to try things on that you normally would leave on the rack. You never know until you put it on your body. That’s how most of my guests discover their new favorite piece!

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Walk with local historians in the footsteps of early Black Americans

Join us for Lost Stories of Resistance & Freedom

 Newport Black History Walking Tours is a unique walk-through-history experience that has been made possible by RI Slave History Medallions (RISHM.org). NBHWT has been established and produced with the belief that the daily history of all cultures and peoples has relevance for all, and still resonates with us today. Our trained historians

 Newport Black History Walking Tours is a unique walk-through-history experience that has been made possible by RI Slave History Medallions (RISHM.org). NBHWT has been established and produced with the belief that the daily history of all cultures and peoples has relevance for all, and still resonates with us today. Our trained historians and educators have worked tirelessly to discover more untold storiies about early Black Americans and what their daily lives were like. Our staff of historians takes pride in passing along this important and unvarnished slice of history to you through our walking tours. 

Newport Black History Walking Tours are led by trained guides and will be held three days each week (Saturday, Sunday, Monday, rain or shine) beginning June 22nd at 10am. Each tour starts at the corner of Bowen’s Wharf, at the Pilot House, near where the wharf meets America’s Cup Boulevard. The one mile tour through Historic Hill will end

Newport Black History Walking Tours are led by trained guides and will be held three days each week (Saturday, Sunday, Monday, rain or shine) beginning June 22nd at 10am. Each tour starts at the corner of Bowen’s Wharf, at the Pilot House, near where the wharf meets America’s Cup Boulevard. The one mile tour through Historic Hill will end at Eisenhower Park in Washington Square, in front of the Colony House at 11:15am. Please note guests will be walking over some cobblestones and uneven ground, with a slight incline, so comfortable footwear is suggested. The tour will last for 75 minutes. The 2024 season will extend each weekend through Saturday, November 30th. 

Tickets are $20 for adults; $15 for “Friends of Newport Black History Walking Tours” and military personnel (with ID), and $10 for children under age 12 (with the exception of infants who are free). Rest stops and restroom facilities are available.

Our entire team at Newport Black History Walking Tours is committed to diversity, inclusion and sustainability. We work hard to create an inclusive and welcoming environment for all, while also minimizing our collective carbon and waste impact on the physical environment we tread over. We respect the local businesses and historical sites

Our entire team at Newport Black History Walking Tours is committed to diversity, inclusion and sustainability. We work hard to create an inclusive and welcoming environment for all, while also minimizing our collective carbon and waste impact on the physical environment we tread over. We respect the local businesses and historical sites we will see along our route, while taking pride in sharing Newport’s previously untold stories of our forefathers, mothers, sisters, brothers and neighbors who walked these sidewalks and paths in earlier centuries.

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Newport Black History Walking Tours

Bowen's Wharf, Newport, Rhode Island 02840, United States

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