A Shared Heritage: People and Places of African American Heritage in Erie County
This presentation, A Shared Heritage: People and Places of African American Heritage in Erie County, offers an overview of a newly launched community history project. The centerpiece of A Shared Heritage is a driving and walking tour of 29 sites of significance related to African American history in Erie County from slavery through the Civil Rights era. Along with the tour is a website featuring a number of other supplemental educational resources that will be previewed in the presentation.
This program will be livestreamed on our Facebook page and later posted to our website and YouTube Channel.
This will be presented by Johnny Johnson and Chris Magoc.
Dr. Chris Magoc is Professor of History at Mercyhurst University. The founder of Mercyhurst's Public History and Museum Studies program, Magoc helped to establish Preservation Erie and served as its first president. The author of many books and articles, he is currently completing work on a post-1945 narrative history of the United States for Routledge Press.
Johnny Johnson, M.Ed., is a native of Covington, GA, and has been a resident of Erie for 45 years. Mr. Johnson taught health and physical education at various middle and high schools in Erie’s Public Schools for more than 30 years before retiring. He coached many athletic teams and was the first African American to coach a varsity basketball team in Erie’s history. He earned his master’s degree in Curriculum and Administration in HPE from Slippery Rock University after earning his bachelor’s degree in education from Fort Valley State University. He is one of the founding members of the Harry T. Burleigh Society, has participated in numerous historical programs, and is the author of Erie African Americans in the 1880s.
