The Southside’s African-American Heritage Virtual Walking Tour

Join us for a virtual rendition of the Southside African-American Heritage Walking Tour. Presented by the Juneteenth Planning Committee and Tompkins County Public Information, and is hosted by Dr. Leslyn McBean-Clairborne, director of the Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC).

The Southside neighborhood has an African-American heritage that dates back 180 years. From the founding of the St. James A.M.E. Zion Church in 1833, to the Underground Railroad, to the construction of the Southside Community Center in 1938, the Southside was “the place to be.”

This walking tour provides an introduction to the Southside’s history for native Ithacans and visitors alike. Some sites have been well documented, while relatively little is known about others; some have been torn down or replaced, while others have been restored. All of them tell stories of a past that neighborhood residents from diverse backgrounds are rediscovering.

Special thanks to the History Center of Tompkins County for the archival photographs.

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