Begin your day at George Mason's Gunston Hall. In 1787, Mason was chosen to attend the Constitutional Convention but refused to sign the Constitution because it did not abolish the slave trade. Gunston Hall tells the story of the concern that Mason expressed of slavery's pending impact on America. Nearby, the Alexandria Archaeology Museum has recovered thousands of artifacts relating to black history and culture for you to examine and enjoy.
A visit to Arlington National Cemetery will showcase the Freedman's Village established by the government to house and educate emancipated slaves. Sojourner Truth stayed here and was a familiar site to people who had passed through on their way to freedom.
Directly across the Potomac River, into the heart of D.C., you can pay homage to the iconic Founders Library at Howard University and visit the U-Street corridor. The corridor is the city's heart of African American culture where you'll find Bohemian Caverns and the Lincoln Theatre.
Do not miss The Lincoln Memorial where you can read the Gettysburg address, and connect with Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. by standing on the steps where he delivered his inspirational "I Have a Dream" speech.
The Smithsonian National Museum of African Art and the "African Voices" exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History are also on the National Mall. The Smithsonian Anacostia Museum and Center for African American History and Culture and the Freedmen's Memorial depicting Lincoln emancipating the slaves motivate the soul.
Day 1 - Gunston Hall, Alexandria Archaeology Museum, Arlington National Cemetery
Day 2 - Howard University, U Street Corridor, Lincoln Memorial
Day 3 - Smithsonian Museums
