PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Lawmakers in New Jersey say for far too long, Black history has gone underrepresented. Now they're working to create a "Black Heritage Trail."
A bill moving through Trenton would set up a historical commission to identify and give special designations to places that have helped contribute to Black heritage in New Jersey. Assemblyman Antwan McClellan says we should all be aware of and celebrate these contributions to our collective history.
"I was shocked to learn myself that Harriet Tubman had stayed in Cape May County for a couple summers," McClellan shared.
"I wanted to bring it to more people's attention, you know, and not just celebrate it in February for Black History Month or Juneteenth in June. We always know about Martin Luther King and what he did. But I think there’s other great people, especially in the state of New Jersey that did some great things that needed to be celebrated."
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He said more people need to know about the contributions of Henry Still from Burlington County, and that there was a Negro League baseball team in Cape May County.
McClellan said the beauty of this commission is that they can keep adding more to the trail as they learn about new people and places of importance.
"People are still calling me and saying, 'Well, we want to be part of the trail and this is what's happening in our municipality, our district,' so it's good to learn these things," he said.
The Senate bill passed unanimously and there doesn't appear to be any significant opposition in the assembly, so it should be on Gov. Phil Murphy's desk soon for a signature.