'Together as One' Black History Month bus tour launches Feb. 3

A new, free bus tour will be offered every Saturday in February as part of the second annual “Together As One,” a regionwide celebration of Black History Month.

The bus tour, which will take place from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturdays, Feb. 3-24, will explore Black history at sites across Western New York. Tour stops include the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor, the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Museum, Freedom Park, The Buffalo History Museum, The Freedom Wall, and the Central Library downtown. The tour will feature a complimentary boxed lunch sponsored by the Buffalo African American Museum.

For more information or to register, visit www.bfloafricanamericanmuseum.org/tours.

The bus tour is the latest addition to “Together as One,” a collaborative project launched in February 2023 that also provides a comprehensive digital guide for discovering Black History Month exhibits and programs at cultural sites across Western New York. The idea is the brainchild of Clifford Bell, chairman of the Buffalo African American Museum, who aimed to bring the community “together as one” to observe and celebrate the contributions of African Americans.

The coordinated effort is led by the Buffalo African American Museum and includes the following participating organizations: Black Achievers Historical Museum, Buffalo & Erie County Public Library, Buffalo Museum of Science, Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy, Burchfield Penney Art Center, Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor, Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center, The Buffalo AKG Art Museum, Open Buffalo, the Afro-American Historical Association of the Niagara Frontier, Calvary Baptist Church, the African American Cultural Center, Tifft Nature Preserve, the Nash House, Friends of Freedom Park, and The Buffalo History Museum.

To register for a bus tour or learn more about February events, exhibits and programs at all participating organizations, visit www.bfloafricanamericanmuseum.org/tours.

More About the Buffalo African American Museum (BAAM)

BAAM’s mission is to build a historical and educational museum that celebrates the rich heritage, culture and life experiences of African Americans by providing authentic presentations and representations of the contributions African Americans have made to the history and the development of the City of Buffalo and Western New York, through art and other cultural exhibits and displays.

With the main purpose to house and promote exhibits that reflects Buffalo African American history, BAAM curates traveling exhibits while working toward having a physical structure to house historic content. The first exhibit curated by the Buffalo African American Museum featured the founding and history of the Michigan Avenue YMCA.

BAAM was founded by Bell, a community activist in Buffalo. He is the former chairperson of the Dr. Martin Luther King birthday celebration committee and one of the pioneers of the Dr. Martin Luther King Memorial Trust Fund. A press release noted, “Both committees led to the establishment of the historic MLK Monument Plaza in MLK Jr. Park. He has dedicated his life to working with local city, state, business and community groups to improve Buffalo.”