Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve invites you to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the first landing of enslaved Africans in English-occupied North America. Bells have traditionally served as symbols of freedom. On Aug. 25, 2019, the National Park Service and its partners are inviting all 419 national parks, NPS programs, community partners, and the public to come together in solidarity to ring bells simultaneously across the nation for four minutes--one for each century--to honor the first Africans who landed at Point Comfort in 1619 and 400 years of African American history.
If you are interested in participating in the commemoration, please bring your own bell and arrive at Kingsley Plantation by 2:45 pm.
This day also commemorates the 103rd anniversary of the establishment of the National Park Service on Aug. 25, 1916. The National Park Service preserves and protects a variety of natural and cultural sites that are part of America’s heritage. Parks and programs can also be places of healing and reconciliation. As we join other national park sites on this day, we honor the significance of four centuries of African American history and culture.
Kingsley Plantation is located at 11676 Palmetto Avenue Jacksonville, FL. For more information about Kingsley Plantation, call 904-251-3537 or visithttps://www.nps.gov/timu. To learn more about the commemoration visit https://www.nps.gov/subjects/africanamericanheritage/400-years.
-NPS-
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 419 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.
Tags: 400th commemoration african american african american history bell ringing
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
