NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WKBW) — Some workers at the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center are seeing a lot of interest from people wanting to learn more about Black history.
The visitor experience specialist of the center, Jasiah Jackson, says she’s seeing plenty of school tours coming this month.
"We’re seeing more people book tours this month and we’re seeing more people taking the time to go through our space which is huge,” she says.
Other workers of the center even say since the death of George Floyd they’ve seen so much interest from people to know more about Black history.
“It shouldn't take the unjust death of an individual for others to be curious about black history or want to know more,” Kiara Santiago, public program coordinator of the center says. “And even to think about their White fragility and White privileges so it has definitely been a larger uptick in visitation.”
Santiago says this year's recognition is going to be big because it’ll be about celebrating Black voices one may not know about like John Morrison, a secret agent that helped people escape slavery to go to Canada.
“John Morrison and others aided Black individuals across the Niagara River at the location where the Falls is today,” she says. “To cross into Canada and establish themselves to escape the United States institution of slavery.”
Click here to find a list of many events and activities happening at the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center.
