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Black History Month Walking Tours

February 3, 2022 @ 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

The Town of Wake Forest will offer free Black History Month Walking Tours of the Northeast Community every Thursday in February at 1 p.m. Pre-registration is required and each tour is limited to the first 15 people to sign up.

Ailey Mae Young holding town seal banner.
In 1971, Ailey Mae Young, pictured here, was elected to the Wake Forest Town Board, becoming the town’s first African American and second woman commissioner. She was re-elected in 1975 and named Citizen of the Year in 1976. She was a lifelong resident of the Northeast Community.

Walking Tour Overview

Led by staff from Historic Preservation Planning and the Wake Forest Historical Museum, the tours will include Olive Branch Baptist Church, Alston-Massenburg Center, the newly restored Ailey Young House, the African American Cemetery, and more. Along the way, each group will discuss the developmental and architectural history of the area, along with the significant men and women who shaped the Northeast Community. Tours are outside only and will not include the inside of individual homes or buildings. For questions or more information, email Michelle Michael. 

Each tour is approximately 90 minutes and will begin at Taylor Street Park, 416 N. Taylor St., proceed south to East Spring Street, west to North White Street, north to East Juniper Avenue and east back to Taylor Street Park.

Know Before You Go 

  • Tours will start promptly at the designated time and be led by historic preservation and museum staff.
  • Each tour will begin and end at Taylor Street Park, 416 N. Taylor St. 
  • Tours take approximately 90 minutes.
  • Pre-registration is required by completing the sign-up form. Every participant must register individually.
  • Space is limited to the first 15 participants to sign up.
  • Please dress appropriately for the weather and be sure to wear comfortable shoes. 
  • On the day of the tour, please consider the health and safety of others in your group by maintaining a safe social distance and/or wearing a mask.

Parking

Parallel parking is available along North Taylor Street and Walnut Street. 

Inclement Weather

In the event inclement weather forces the cancellation of a scheduled tour, an email notification will be sent to everyone who has pre-registered announcing the cancellation.

Sign Up
Free