International Black history sites everyone should get to know
It had been 18 months since my passport had seen daylight. Travel restrictions and lockdowns were to blame. My husband, Benjamin, and I had traded in airline tickets and carry-ons for tents and fishing poles in the wild.
Four trips to the Sequoias had us on repeat, where we settled our tribe at the base of the river. It was there that we read books aloud, smoked fresh trout, counted falling stars and bathed under cascading waterfalls. Days would pass without seeing a soul, to the point that our return to a still-isolated and masked society was slightly depressing.
Being alone — and together — felt right. Pre-COVID era, we were constantly on the go, traveling internationally at least once a month for both work and play. Our assignments took us to destinations as near as Costa Rica and as far as Turkey. To date, I had shaken hands with more than 85 countries.
Friends and family knew us as “explorers,” and many asked how we were “holding up” in the midst of global change. Ironically, we were doing just fine.
Then, on month 18, it hit. That little itch that makes you want to cross a border. Flying … eh, not so much. The thought of lines, masks, protocols, paperwork and possibly quarantine had sent us checking weather conditions and surf reports closer to home. We didn’t need to go far, but we did crave culture — a place where we could hear another language, taste exotic foods and maybe even stand 6-feet-together with strangers.
And there it was: Mexico.
The neighboring country was nothing new to us, and in fact we’d probably visited Mexico more than 30 times. But this trip would be different. It would be our great resurgence, an awakening that had the potential
Black History Month celebrates African Americans’ legacy of struggle and achievement throughout the United States’ episodic 244-year history. For travelers, the February celebration also provides a roadmap for uncovering to reignite our desire to explore.
We decided on a two-part vacation that would take us to the Baja Peninsula for eight days. In between would be a weekend back home in San Diego. Part one would focus on surfing and relaxation near Puerto Nuevo, and part two on culture and cuisine in Valle de Guadalupe’s wine country. Both could be easily reached by car.
To avoid crowds, higher prices and border waits, we would travel midweek. domestic sites connected to Black history.
Yet travelers in the Caribbean and South America can also find contemporary sites tied to Black history, most notably the transatlantic slave trade through which millions of Africans were forcibly introduced to the Americas.
The sites are both sobering and hopeful. Some chronicle horrific events including slave revolts and the plantation system’s innate cruelty. Others chronicle lesser-explored aspects of post-slavery rebuilding and celebrate examples of progressive initiatives to bring African, American and European
Literally days before our trip, we booked a beachfront property in the gated community of Primo Tapia. For just $110 a night, our little casita had two bedrooms, a courtyard and a rooftop deck. It was here where we drank margaritas and watched the ocean swallow the sun.
It really was a magical property. Newly renovated, it had a vibrant Santa Fe style decor with everything from artwork and cookbooks giving a proper
colonial cultures into greater harmony.
Visitors in several Caribbean and South American nations – including Brazil, Curacao, Martinique and Nevis – can explore these important locations via organized tours or through independent exploration, as all are located within major tourist districts.
Here are four international sites tied to Black history in the Americas.
VALONGO WHARF, BRAZIL
Located in Rio de Janeiro’s Jornal do Comércio Square, Valongo Wharf Archaeological Site is situated in the city’s 19thcentury harbor; the stone wharf was the landing place for generations of enslaved Africans from 1811 through the end of slavery in the country in 1888. An estimated 900,000 Africans arrived in South America through the Valongo Wharf.
Excavated in 2011 and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017, the Wharf features several archaeological layers. The lowest consists of floor pavings in “pé de moleque” style, say UNESCO officials, attributed to the original Wharf.
Other layers represent the subsequent Empress’ Wharf, built in 1843. The construction features a beachfront covered with paving made of hewn stones forming a ramp and steps leading down to the sea.
UNESCO officials describe the Valongo as “The most important physical trace of the arrival of African slaves on the American continent,” which “therefore carries enormous historical as well as spiritual importance to African Americans.”
The site is maintained by local groups but remains in need of additional rehabilitation and development promised following the excavation, an issue that is still under debate in the
Located amid quiet beaches and a flamingo reserve on Curacao’s south coast is a monument at the spot where one of the Caribbean’s most famous slave rebellion leaders was executed.
Tula was an enslaved African who became aware of the 1791 Haitian revolt that ultimately led to the freedom of that island’s enslaved population. With fellow slaves Louis Mercier, Bastian Karpata and Pedro Wakao, he launched what became known as the Curacao Slave Revolt, or Tula’s Revolt, on Aug. 17, 1795.
The rebellion began at the Knip Plantation in Bandabou where Tula led 40 to 50 enslaved people, who told the master they would no longer submit to bondage. By that evening, Tula’s group had freed thousands of slaves, who encamped on the beachfront at present-day Porto Mari, where they later defeated a Dutch attack.
Tula’s forces increased as the group freed more enslaved people at other plantations. Bloody battles ensued and the revolt lasted more than a month. Colonial military ultimately defeated the rebels, and Tula was captured and tortured to death on Oct. 3, 1795. His fellow revolt leaders were executed, while other enslaved people were killed in a retaliatory massacre.
Following the rebellion’s suppression, Curacao’s government granted some rights to enslaved people in an effort to avert another uprising. Slavery was finally abolished in Curacao in 1863.
COTTLE CHURCH, NEVIS
The restored ruins of Nevis’ 19th century Cottle Church lacks pews, stained glass windows and even a roof. Yet it is frequently mentioned as a favorite site among residents and travelers aware of its singular role in Caribbean history.