One of the most historically significant African-American cities in the US, Wilimington, North Carolina, has provided visitors with an exciting look at the contributions made by blacks to southern history. That contribution has been made even more informative by the creation of the African American Heritage Trail. The trail’s seventeen points of historical interest include the Cape Fear Museum; Bellamy Mansion Slave Quarters, built in 1859; the Wilmington Daily Record and the Wilmington Journal, the only black-owned daily newspapers of their time; and the downtown business district, where African-Americans have owned their own businesses for over two centuries.
Wilmington serves as both reminder of slavery and racial repression and the triumph of human courage, perseverance and cooperation. The African American Heritage Trail is a trip the whole family will long remember. Contact Cape Fear Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau, 800-222-4757.