African American History Tour (October 3 Oakhill Cemetery)

In partnership, Lit Youngstown, The Mahoning Valley Historical Society, The Mahoning Valley Sojourn to the Past, The Braceville African American Heritage Museum, and the Youngstown Black History Tour Committee, is pleased to announce the Third Celebration of Black History in Youngstown and the Third African American History Tour. Register by clicking here. 

This year’s tour honors pioneering African American women whose leadership, resilience, and vision shaped Youngstown’s history. Local historian Vince Ajamu Shivers will curate the program, with poetry by Cave Canem Fellow Cherise Benton. Other historians lending their expertise to the project, Stacey Adger, Stefon Jones and Kenneth King, will provide insight into the lives and legacies of trailblazing women. The event will also include a tribute by Sarah Brown Clark, former director of Black Studies and professor of African American Literature at Youngstown State University, to Ohio native Toni Morrison, Nobel Laureate in Literature.

The tour begins at Oakhill Cemetery October 3rd, 2026 at 9:00 a.m., located at 344 Oakhill. Following the cemetery tour, attendees will gather at the Tyler History Centre, with a close at the Mahoning Valley Historical Society, both located at 325 West Federal Street.

The community is invited to join the preservation and celebration of the historic legacy of African Americans in Youngstown. Space is limited, and advance registration is strongly encouraged. Register by clicking here.