History

The African-American Heritage Trail was conceived by Plain Dealer feature writer Margaret Bernstein, who was inspired to create a black history tour of Cleveland after taking a similar tour in Boston. In 1995, she headed a team of black journalists who spent six months researching Cleveland's black history. They reviewed almost 50 different locations, people and events before choosing the 16 sites they would spotlight.

Thanks to this extraordinary volunteer collaboration of black professionals from print, radio and TV, the African-American Heritage Trail was unveiled in 1995 in the form of a book-and-tape package. The packages sold out quickly and proceeds benefited Cleveland's African American Museum. Today, Starlight Tours keeps alive the work of these journalists by offering guided tours of the Heritage Trail they blazed.

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