Cairo to launch African American Heritage Trail and oral history project
FOX23 News at 9 p.m.
CAIRO, Ill., (KBSI) — Cairo will launch a new African American Heritage Trail and Oral History Project on Dec. 5, marking a major step in preserving and celebrating the community’s Black cultural legacy.
The Cairo African American Heritage Trail & Oral History Project (CAAHT) will debut at 5 p.m. at the Cairo High and Junior High School cafeteria, 4201 Sycamore Street. The public is invited to the celebration, which will feature light refreshments and a musical performance by Cairo High School students.
The project is led by The Cairo Historical Preservation Project, Inc. (TCHPP) in partnership with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Funding is provided through the Illinois Innovation Network and additional community stakeholders.
CAAHT will feature historic landmark markers placed throughout Cairo at locations significant to the city’s African American history. Each marker will include a QR code linking visitors to recorded oral history interviews with longtime residents, offering firsthand accounts of events, culture, and community milestones often missing from traditional historical narratives.
A new website hosted by TCHPP will also be unveiled during the Dec. 5 program. The site will house digitized photographs, stories, landmark information and full oral history recordings, serving as a permanent digital archive accessible to the public.
“Access to these recorded oral history interviews provides a living account of growth, challenge, joy and missed opportunities—paired with the physical landmarks that played a pivotal role in Cairo’s African American community,” said TCHPP president Don Patton. “For me, it’s like a roll call of living history. We welcome everyone to celebrate the launch of the heritage trail, the newest addition to Cairo’s rich cultural legacy.”
