Juneteenth Tour: Lives Bound Together: The Washingtons & Ona Marie Judge in NH

Sankofa Tour Guide: Stanford Cross What did freedom mean to those who were denied it at the very moment a nation declared its independence? This powerful walking tour brings to life the story of Prince Whipple—an enslaved African who became one of Portsmouth’s most influential Black leaders. Through immersive storytelling, you’ll hear about Prince’s role in the fight for freedom, from the bold signing of the 1779 Petition of Freedom to his service in the New Hampshire militia during the Revolutionary War. Along the way, you’ll gain insight into the contradictions of a nation debating liberty even as slavery remained deeply woven into daily life. As the tour moves through Portsmouth’s historic streets, you’ll visit his family home and the Ladies African Charitable Society School, founded by his wife Dinah to educate Black children and strengthen the community. You will also discover a lesser-known side of Prince Whipple as a respected organizer and event manager whose influence extended into Portsmouth's social and civic life. Meeting Place: BHTNH Headquarters | 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH. Navigate the streets of Portsmouth and gain a news perspective on a history often left untold. Led by our high school Sankofa Scholars, this powerful walking tour centers the lives of enslaved children—boys and girls whose youth did not protect them from being bought, sold, or forced into labor. As you visit the waterfront, wharves, and auction sites connected to the Atlantic Slave Trade, you’ll hear stories that reveal how young many were when their lives were defined by exploitation—traded for “cash or good lumber” and forced to serve in homes, on docks, and at sea. What makes this experience especially moving is who tells the story. Our youth guides bring forward the voices of children from the past, creating a powerful connection across generations and inviting deeper reflection on freedom, humanity, and responsibility. This is not just a history lesson—it is a shared moment of truth-telling, led by the next generation. Meeting Place: BHTNH Headquarters | 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH. Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Jenny Tibbits (they/them) Town: Dover, NH Dover is steeped deep in rich Black history. On this tour, you'll hear about the people enslaved by the Waldron family and how the cotton mill built in Dover fueled slavery in the South. You'll discover the Brown/Mitchell family: Nellie Brown Mitchell (renowned Black opera singer), her brother Edward Brown, (lawyer, who submitted to Congress a petition for a national anti-lynching bill and first Black justice of the peace in New Hampshire), and her husband Charles Mitchell (Civil War hero and first Black person elected to the Massachusetts legislature). Join us to discover their amazing stories of community, resilience, and courage. Meeting Place: Woodman Museum | 15 Summer St, Dover, NH. Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Daniel Comly Join Daniel Comly for a moving walking tour that reveals the deeply human stories of love, family, and resilience in early Portsmouth. Guided through careful research and a commitment to sharing histories beyond his own lived experience, Daniel brings forward the voices and lives of Black families who, in a time marked by enslavement, separation, and uncertainty, formed relationships, married, raised children, and built strong communities. As you walk through the streets where their lives unfolded, you'll hear powerful, true stories of connection and courage—stories of families who refused to be defined by the limits placed on them and instead claimed their place, their dignity, and their future. Through storytelling and conversation, this tour invites you to reflect on what it means to build a home, sustain love, and fight to belong Meeting Place: BHTNH Headquarters | 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH. Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Nur Shoop Journey into the world of Black travelers who navigated a segregated America, where every journey required courage, strategy, and community. This walking tour explores the Portsmouth sites that offered safety and welcome at a time when racial discrimination in the North often barred African Americans from hotels, restaurants, and public spaces. Inspired by the Green Book, you’ll discover how travelers relied on networks of Black-owned businesses, private homes, and church communities to move without fear of humiliation or harm. But the guidebook tells only part of the story. As you walk through the city, you’ll uncover the lives behind the listings—the people who opened their doors, the quiet acts of resistance, and the connections that made travel a joy. You’ll also learn how these spaces supported civil rights organizing—and how many disappeared after 1964—leaving stories that continue to shape our understanding of belonging and access today. This is a journey into the hidden networks of resilience that enabled freedom of movement. Meeting Place: BHTNH Headquarter