Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire

A freedom walk across the Piscataqua River drew dozens of marchers who marked the end of slavery in the U.S. nearly 160 years ago, and shared concerns about current attacks on diversity.

Community events are planned across the state on Thursday and in the days ahead.

A conversation with one descendant of a man who was enslaved in Portsmouth, and a descendant from the family that enslaved him.

The financial gifts Amos Fortune left the town in his will have since accumulated to $40,000, which the town has long since used to support public education and become a more inclusive community.

The marker will honor Dover-born siblings Nellie Brown Mitchell and Edward Everett Brown.

“I hope people feel community, feel like we are having a celebration of freedom, but also feel like we're setting aside a time to remember an important part of US history as it happened,” said Whitney Skillen, who organized one event in Claremont.

The Black Heritage Trail’s Juneteenth festivities this year are running through June 19.

The federal holiday is June 19. The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire will host expanded celebrations starting June 10.

The bill had received broad bipartisan support in the Senate, but the House decided it needed further study.

Black community leaders opened up about struggling to feel valued, understood and safe at work, in medical settings and other largely white spaces in New Hampshire. But they were also clear: Their experiences are not monolithic and not defined only by the challenges they’ve faced.