CAPE MAY – The city, in collaboration with the New Jersey Historical Commission, will unveil the first New Jersey Black Heritage Trail historical marker at 720 Franklin St. on Wednesday, June 11, at 1 p.m.
The marker will recognize the Franklin Street School and the determination of Cape May’s Black community to provide equal educational opportunities to their children. The festivities will also recognize the nearby Macedonia Baptist Church/Harriet Tubman Museum of New Jersey as a site on the New Jersey Black Heritage Trail and feature reflections from former Franklin Street School students.
The public is invited to attend the ceremony, but registration is requested. Registration information can be found at https://bit.ly/franklinstreetschoolunveiling.
Signed into law by Gov. Phil Murphy in 2022, the New Jersey Black Heritage Trail legislation calls for the Historical Commission to establish a trail that will “highlight Black heritage sites through historical markers and a trail-like path that connects the stories of Black life and resiliency.” Since 2022, 61 nominated sites have been selected for the trail.
The trail is intended to be a living trail inviting visitors and passersby to engage with the sites’ art and history. Each historical marker will be 30-by-42 inches, with black letters against a white background with gold trim. The markers will be mounted on a seven-foot pole. A square 6-by-6-inch aluminum plate will be attached to most marker poles, with a QR code that leads visitors to the New Jersey Black Heritage Trail website.
On select markers, including the Franklin Street School, visitors will find a 5-by-10-inch aluminum plate with a virtual museum QR code. The New Jersey Black Heritage Trail Virtual Museum invites viewers to learn more about Black history and heritage sites in New Jersey through photographs, documents and other related information. No application is required to access the virtual museum, but visitors will need to scan the QR code and follow the onscreen prompts to activate the experience.
New Jersey Black Heritage Trail sites are selected through a community-driven process. Each year, the New Jersey Black Heritage Trail reviews nominations from the public as well as staff recommendations. The final selections are approved by the New Jersey Historical Commission.
