Routes of Resilience: From Enslavement to Freedom Along the Pike
Explore the journey from enslavement to freedom along The Pike in this eye-opening event!
Join The Black Heritage Museum of Arlington, The Arlington Historical Society, and WalkArlington as we learn about the lives of free and enslaved Black people in 19th-century Arlington.
In this afternoon walk near Columbia Pike, Craig Syphax, board member and former president of The Black Heritage Museum of Arlington, and Jessica Kaplan, board member of the Arlington Historical Society, will share the stories of free and enslaved Black people who were part of this neighborhood in the 19th century. As we pass by places where they once lived and worked, we’ll learn about their lives, their struggles, and their great resilience, courage, and strength in the face of adversity.
In November, several sites on the Routes of Resilience walk will be dedicated with bronze markers emblazoned with the names of the people we will learn about. The markers will be placed as part of the Memorializing the Enslaved in Arlington project, an effort to commemorate the lives of the County’s enslaved population. The first markers in this project were dedicated at the oldest house in Arlington, the Ball-Sellers House, in fall 2023.
Need To Know
We’ll meet on the sidewalk in front of the Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel before heading toward Freedman’s Village Bridge. Our group will have a sandwich board sign with the name of the walk. Please register here: ( https://www.eventbrite.com/e/routes-of-resilience-from-enslavement-to-freedom-along-the-pike-tickets-1013878667387?aff=ebdssbdestsearch )
After the walk, we’ll head down The Pike to The Black Heritage Museum of Arlington for a reception and an opportunity to view the museum’s exhibits.
Our walks are generally rain or shine. In the event of severely inclement weather, the rain date for this walk will be Saturday, November 9.
