About the African American Heritage Project

We wish to acknowledge local and regional efforts that preceded or are actively underway at local and regional levels to document sites related to African American history. Many of these efforts far surpass the objectives of the Winding River African American History Project, and all have provided a foundation for the mission of this project.

• African American Heritage Trail of Kansas City, MO  (Kansas City, MO)
• African American Walking Tours in Liberty, Missouri (Clay County African American Legacy, Inc. - Garrison School Cultural Center and "Give Me Liberty")
• Explore Kansas City's African American History and Areas of Interest (Visit KC)
• Guide to African American Attractions and Special Events (Printed publication, possibly out of print, Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater Kansas City)
• Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area
  • Story with links to historic sites: African Americans
  • Story with links to historic sites: Slavery, Abolition and the Underground Railroad

The African American Heritage Project is aimed at bringing together, under a single directory, historic sites, monuments, memorials, and museum collections related to the the African American experience in western Missouri and eastern Kansas. While there are a variety of efforts underway to celebrate, memorialize, educate and observe African American history in communities throughout this area, a comprehensive directory of those efforts has been difficult to establish and maintain. 

Sample completed listing

Freedom Mall on the Freedom Trail
1000 Block of W 8th Street, Kansas City, MO 64101

"The Freedom Memorial highlights two important historical periods in Kansas City. Its location as a former escape route for runaway slaves attempting to cross the Missouri River in search of freedom and how the construction of Kansas City’s railroad began in the West Bottoms in 1863, the height of the Civil War."   Additional Information   

*Excerpted from the African American Heritage Trail of Kansas City Missouri
Image: Winding River Communications Archive

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Our initial effort is to build this datebase through an online directory that will include for each point of interest:

• Name
• Address
• City, State and Zip Code
• Link to web address
• Brief description
• Small image

We have made an initial attempt to build the directory and hope that over the next few months, we can complete it with the help of visitors to our website.

To make it easy for you to add new listings -- or correct current listings -- you are invited to use our online form for updating directories.