Black History in the GGNRA

The origin story of the Golden Gate Bridge is dominated by tales of the architects and designers who were given the opportunity to dream up the structure. The workers who installed and later maintained the cables and trusses, the bolts and the paint, are not often credited. 

In the book “Building the…

Alcatraz Island is full of doors that lead to the past, and right now there are several unique and new experiences on the island to check out.

In this moment and as we continue forward, it’s important to acknowledge the racist history on these lands so that we can learn from it and overcome it. 

As we celebrate Black History Month in February, we can find resonances here in our national parks, those places historian Wallace Stegner called “the best idea we ever had.”

On the 150th anniversary of the formation of the African American Buffalo Soldiers regiments, learn about their vital role in the history of the national parks (and of the Presidio)—and discover why Teddy Roosevelt had a special place in his heart for them.

Robert Lipscomb, a Black man from Cleveland, Ohio, grew up during the Great Depression and, after a traumatic and destabilizing childhood, eventually ended up in the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary where he agitated for social change.