Hidden in the steep hills and narrow valleys of southeastern Ohio are remarkable, but fading, stories of men and women who bravely broke the color barrier after they and their families crossed the Ohio River into Ohio’s Hill Country throughout the 19th and 20th Century.  A two-day guided tour will bring these stories to life on August 8-9, 2016.

The region’s relative Caucasian population does not lead one to expect stories of state and national significance involving African Americans.  However, to the contrary, abundant examples exist that still impact the region today.

Join a spirited group of guides, ranging from community organizers and descendants of early trailblazers, to scholars and contemporary leaders as this landmark experience will give consideration to events and sites dating back to the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.  Learn about Quakers and the Underground Railroad at Chesterhill, Ohio’s first public university and an all-black trade school at Athens, the second state capital at Zanesville, and an accidental social experiment during the coal boom era at Rendville where African Americans became pioneers in the nation’s labor union movement.

This guided bus/van tour includes lodging at the scenic Burr Oak State Park Lodge, a taste of regional foods and performance, and visits to African American churches, cemeteries and the region’s pride and joy, Ohio University, where many early African American milestones were set.

For more information contact John Winnenberg at jwinnenb54@gmail.com.