OHIO — Ohio is celebrating Black History Month in February and throughout the year by highlighting the numerous destinations that showcase the state’s African American history. Ohio was the first free state formed from the Northwest Territory, and the state offers several museums, Underground Railroad sites, and spaces dedicated to celebrating Ohio’s Black history.
Ohio’s museums offer a plethora of programs to educate visitors about the people and places that have shaped Ohio’s African American history. One of the notable museums is the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, which is in the running as a finalist in USA TODAY’s 10 Best History Museums. The Freedom Center provides visitors with insights into the triumphs and hardships faced during slavery, the abolition of slavery, and the civil rights movement. Other museums include the National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center in Wilberforce, which is home to one of the nation’s largest African American archives and collections, and the African American Archives of the Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland, which collects, preserves, and makes accessible historical documents, artifacts, and photographs about African American life, history, and culture in northeast Ohio.
Ohio also had the most active network of safe houses and hiding places of any other state along the Underground Railroad, with an estimated 3,000 miles of routes used by people seeking freedom. Visitors can explore the Clermont County Freedom Trail, which runs along the Ohio River and includes 42 historical sites, of which 22 are part of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. The Underground Railroad Museum in Flushing, the Rankin House in Ripley, and the Lathrop House in Sylvania are also sites to check out.
Another location is the Rush R. Sloane House in Sandusky, Ohio. Rush R. Sloane was a lawyer, abolitionist, and participant in the Underground Railroad in Sandusky. He purchased a house in 1854 and became involved in local abolitionist activities, influenced by lawyer F.D. Parish, who was also an abolitionist. Sloane protested against the arrest and detention of seven runaway slaves in 1852 and was charged under the Fugitive Slave Act, resulting in a fine of $3,000 plus fees. Despite this, Sloane became a probate judge and U.S. Post Office agent in Chicago, where he made a fortune in real estate. He eventually returned to Sandusky and became president of a railroad and was elected mayor. Rush Sloane was an influential and successful member of the Sandusky community who sacrificed his money and reputation for his participation in the Underground Railroad. The mansion fell into disrepair in the mid-1900s. It was eventually purchased by two Chillicothe natives Brenda E. Salley and Esther Bates. The two civil rights and Black History advocates began the restoration efforts on the mansion. Both passed away in the early 2000s. Recently the home was purchased and fully restored to its original beauty. The Rush R. Sloan Mansion is now open to the public via reservation only.
Several universities and colleges have spaces and monuments dedicated to celebrating Ohio’s Black history. One such monument is a statue of Martin Luther King Jr. at Ohio Northern University, which commemorates his visit to the university in 1968. The Downtown Oberlin Walking Tour of Civil War Monuments is a self-guided tour of 11 historical sites and monuments. Karamu House, in Cleveland, is the oldest African American theater in the U.S. and is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The Paul Laurence Dunbar House in Dayton contains many personal memorabilia of one of the first influential Black poets in American Literature, while the Washington Gladden Social Justice Park in Columbus offers an opportunity to learn about social justice legends, including Rev. Dr. Washington Gladden, considered a leading social justice advocate in the 1900s.
Ohio is a state with a rich and diverse history, and Black History Month is an excellent opportunity for visitors and residents alike to explore and learn about the African American history that has shaped the state.