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Celebrate Black History Month!

Celebrate Black History in Montgomery County with these FREE events and activities!  View more Black History Month events on our calendar.

Walking Tour of Downtown Rockville

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Take a self-guided walking tour of downtown Rockville and learn from the 21 interpretive signs along the way. Some notable sites include:

• Site 3: Adam Robb’s Tavern
  Robb’s Tavern was a popular overnight stop for travelers on the road between Georgetown and Frederick. The tavern was owned by Adam Robb, a prominent Rockville citizen and slave owner. One of his slaves was the young Josiah Henson. Henson lived in the Rockville vicinity for over thirty years before escaping to Canada. In 1849, he published his autobiography, upon which Harriet Beecher Stowe based her groundbreaking novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
• Site 17: Baseball Field
  Between North Washington Street and today’s Hungerford Drive was an open field which served a number of purposes for Rockville’s black families. It was the site of camp meetings and revivals, athletic field days, and the practice field for Rockville’s African American baseball team. One of Rockville’s most famous players was Clarence “Pint” Isreal. Isreal went on to play professionally in the Negro National League for the Homestead Grays and Newark Eagles, helping his teams win multiple Negro World Series championships.

Many of these sites are located in the Rockville Town Square and surrounding areas. Imagine the historical events that took place years ago right in downtown Rockville! 

Watch a video about Black History Month in Rockville

“A Walk in Father Henson’s Footsteps” Guided Tours: Saturdays in February

Join Montgomery Parks in celebrating Black History Month at Josiah Henson Special Park for some fun and FREE activities. Enjoy guided tours of the historic Josiah Henson Special Park. Retrace the footsteps of Reverend Josiah Henson from his enslavement to escape on the Underground Railroad to freedom in Canada. Walk the grounds where Henson toiled as a slave on the Isaac Riley plantation. Copies of Reverend Henson's autobiography and the new children's book, Working for Freedom: The Story of Josiah Henson will be available for purchase each Saturday. Guided tours begin at 12 noon, 1:00 pm, 2:00 pm. and 3:00 pm - no reservations required.

“Lyrical Rhythms: The Sounds of Freedom” Live Spoken Word

Join us as we close out our Black History Month celebration at the park with our anual poetry event. Create your own "sounds of freedom" in the form of original poetry. Come prepared to share your poetry. Reception with light refreshments immediately follows. Your poetry should inlude any of the following themes: Slavery | Freedom | Underground Railroad | Reverend Josiah Henson | “Uncle Tom” | Civil War | ... and any other topics related to the African American experience. Call 301-650-4373 for more information. Tours will not be conducted between 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm.

For more information about Black History Month in Montgomery County, please contact Anita Neal Powell, Founder/President of the Lincoln Park Historical Foundation, Inc. at 301-251-2747 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

The Lincoln Park Historical Foundation was founded in 1977. The founder was inspired from the question “What is Slavery?” by her 9 year old son who was working on a homework assignment. Almost thirty-five years later, the question is still being answered through research, training, preservation and road trips.