1 00:00:07,720 --> 00:00:11,120 Speaker 1: From WBZ News Radio in Boston. This is New England 2 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:14,080 Speaker 1: Weekend where each week we come together right here we 3 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:16,439 Speaker 1: talk about all the topics important to you and the 4 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:18,520 Speaker 1: place where you live. Great to have you back with 5 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:21,160 Speaker 1: us this week, and if it's your first time listening, welcome. 6 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:24,560 Speaker 1: I'm Nicole Davis Well. This month is Black History Month, 7 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:27,200 Speaker 1: and since nineteen twenty six here in the United States, 8 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 1: we take this month to recognize the triumphs, achievements, send 9 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:33,640 Speaker 1: struggles of African Americans here in Boston. A great place 10 00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:35,960 Speaker 1: to learn about some of that history is a spot 11 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 1: we normally go to for a history lesson the Freedom Trail. 12 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:41,960 Speaker 1: For the next few weeks, the Freedom Trail Foundation is 13 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 1: bringing back their African American Patriots Tours. You take one 14 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:47,640 Speaker 1: of these tours, you will learn all about important Black 15 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:50,479 Speaker 1: Bostonians and civil rights leaders who helped to shape our 16 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:53,240 Speaker 1: city and country as we know it. Kelly Strong is 17 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 1: one of the guys you're going to learn from, and 18 00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 1: she's been on the show before. She is back now 19 00:00:57,000 --> 00:00:59,400 Speaker 1: to tell us all about these tours. And Kelly, for 20 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:02,240 Speaker 1: those who have been on the Freedom Trail, taken that walk, 21 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:04,680 Speaker 1: give us a quick rundown about what you do on 22 00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:06,720 Speaker 1: the trail and what people learn on the tours. 23 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:11,320 Speaker 2: Freedom Trail is sixteen stops of Boston's most historic you know, 24 00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:14,440 Speaker 2: battles and history that we go through the first eleven 25 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:17,560 Speaker 2: on our typical walk into History tour, where we get 26 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:19,880 Speaker 2: into Paul Revere, we get into Sam Adams, we get 27 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:21,840 Speaker 2: into John Adams, we get into the Master all that, 28 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:24,320 Speaker 2: you know, wonderful stuff that people think of when they 29 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:25,360 Speaker 2: think of Boston history. 30 00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:28,320 Speaker 1: And of course it's always jam packed. A lot of 31 00:01:28,319 --> 00:01:30,679 Speaker 1: tourists like to come to town and focus on the 32 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:33,880 Speaker 1: freedom it is. It is and you all have so 33 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:38,240 Speaker 1: many great options for tours over the Freedom Trail Foundation. Yeah, 34 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:40,040 Speaker 1: tell me a little bit about what you have to offer. 35 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:43,120 Speaker 2: So the African American Patriots Tour is a tour we 36 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 2: also offer on Juneteenth and select weekends in summer as well, 37 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:50,560 Speaker 2: but it's going to be available forty five on Saturdays 38 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 2: and Sundays except for the seventh throughout Subway, and it 39 00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:57,160 Speaker 2: is a little more focused on a lot of the 40 00:01:57,240 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 2: African American Patriots and kind of stories people might not 41 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:03,400 Speaker 2: know about Boston. We get into Phillis, Sweet Lee, we 42 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:06,480 Speaker 2: get into Salem, Poor, we get into Prince Hall. There's 43 00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:10,240 Speaker 2: a lot of really fascinating, wonderful figures from Boston that 44 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:13,919 Speaker 2: we are happy to introduce and reintroduce to people who 45 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:18,040 Speaker 2: are interested in Boston history, early American revolutionary history. 46 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:21,639 Speaker 1: You don't hear a lot about the African Americans who 47 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:24,320 Speaker 1: really our country would not be what it is today 48 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 1: without them, and I love that you're shining a light 49 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:27,840 Speaker 1: on their stories. 50 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:30,800 Speaker 2: Oh thank you. We are so happy to And we 51 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:34,240 Speaker 2: don't even just stop with revolution on. Doctor King also 52 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:36,280 Speaker 2: lived here in Boston. That's why we put up that 53 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:39,680 Speaker 2: wonderful embrace. And he met his wife Coretta here. They 54 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:43,920 Speaker 2: both went to school. Here, we get into Boston's busing crisis, 55 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:47,240 Speaker 2: we get into Senator Brooke and all these other kind 56 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:50,960 Speaker 2: of figures from Boston history that you know aren't typically 57 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:52,680 Speaker 2: highlighted when. 58 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:54,720 Speaker 1: You're taking one of these tours. Are you walking along 59 00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:57,320 Speaker 1: the Freedom Trail and just stopping at different places or 60 00:02:57,480 --> 00:02:59,480 Speaker 1: is this a completely different tour? 61 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:03,520 Speaker 2: Little from Column a little from Columby. There's definitely an 62 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:06,760 Speaker 2: overlap there, but we definitely go to bos that might 63 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:10,000 Speaker 2: not be on the typical tour, like the African Meeting House. 64 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:14,720 Speaker 2: There's going to be a little more focus on less 65 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:19,680 Speaker 2: more esoteric UH aspects. People like Paul Revere also passed 66 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 2: by a man name named Mark Codman. And if you 67 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:23,720 Speaker 2: want to know more, you really should take the tour 68 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 2: because that's a really fascinating story about mister Revere's midnight ride. 69 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:32,520 Speaker 2: And we also go to places, like I said, that 70 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 2: aren't necessarily on the tour. And there's also new things 71 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:39,640 Speaker 2: like Unbound Outside of Chapel is a wonderful new site 72 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:43,480 Speaker 2: that is recognizing and celebrate the end of slavery in 73 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:46,600 Speaker 2: the Commonwealth. And you know, we get into a lot 74 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:47,480 Speaker 2: of new stuff as well. 75 00:03:47,760 --> 00:03:50,760 Speaker 1: It is cold and snowy, as we know all too 76 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 1: well here in Boston right now. If somebody is going 77 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:55,720 Speaker 1: to come on these tours, I'm assuming you know, make 78 00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:58,280 Speaker 1: sure you dress for the elements. And how do you 79 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:01,440 Speaker 1: in costumes stay warm through the elements. 80 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:04,000 Speaker 2: Well, luckily we use those hot hands. 81 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 1: Oh there you go a lot of. 82 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:08,280 Speaker 2: The kind of more invisible stuffs and we kind of 83 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:11,120 Speaker 2: layer under the costume. But we also go with the 84 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:14,480 Speaker 2: traditional cloak, which is shockingly warm, and they are actual 85 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:16,400 Speaker 2: cloaks are the good way to don't you worry. We 86 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:19,719 Speaker 2: are all happy new Englanders as the players on the 87 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 2: Freedom Trail, and we love to walk people around our 88 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:24,400 Speaker 2: city and we're ready for the elements and we hope 89 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:24,880 Speaker 2: you are too. 90 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:26,800 Speaker 1: Oh absolutely, Look if you can do it in a 91 00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 1: cloak and a dress, I think that we can handle 92 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:31,840 Speaker 1: it in whatever we've got going on. I mean, if 93 00:04:31,839 --> 00:04:34,279 Speaker 1: people want to dress in period dress, I mean why not. 94 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:35,720 Speaker 1: The more the marriage we love that. 95 00:04:35,640 --> 00:04:38,080 Speaker 2: We've had that. I've had a bachelorette party one where 96 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 2: everyone's justice the different signers of the Declaration. So I 97 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:43,880 Speaker 2: mean people can definitely get into it and we are happy, 98 00:04:44,279 --> 00:04:45,200 Speaker 2: happy to have them. 99 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:48,880 Speaker 1: You're offering your normal Freedom Trail tours as well as this, 100 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:50,520 Speaker 1: so people can take both if they want to. 101 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:55,000 Speaker 2: Absolutely we encourage them to. There's so much density to 102 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:57,920 Speaker 2: Boston history, and I mean we give you as much 103 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:00,520 Speaker 2: as you can, but you can take tours from a 104 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:03,200 Speaker 2: dozen different guys and get a lot of interesting, different 105 00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:06,880 Speaker 2: takes on history that will kind of surprise people. And 106 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:08,680 Speaker 2: I think it's a lot of fun. And even if 107 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 2: you're a local, I promise we got a lot of 108 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 2: inside knowledge that you might not be hept too, and 109 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:14,800 Speaker 2: we're happy to share it with you. 110 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:17,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's the thing Like, I'm a Massachusetts native, I've 111 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 1: lived in the Boston area twenty something years at this point, 112 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:23,039 Speaker 1: and I still find myself learning so much about our city. 113 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:26,320 Speaker 1: There's just so many layers to pull back exactly. 114 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:29,080 Speaker 2: I mean, you can even pick on like one specific 115 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:32,000 Speaker 2: thing if you just wanted to do like Harvard history, 116 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:33,920 Speaker 2: you could, and you'd never ever have an end if 117 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:37,000 Speaker 2: you just want to do the history of the Commons. Again, 118 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:40,039 Speaker 2: it's the endless well of information. So we are so 119 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:43,960 Speaker 2: happy to share what we have learned with other people. 120 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:46,720 Speaker 2: It really is a joy for all the players to do. 121 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:50,080 Speaker 1: So how long should people put aside for a tour 122 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:50,600 Speaker 1: like this. 123 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:55,880 Speaker 2: It's a ninety minute tour. Hopefully there's been a little 124 00:05:56,920 --> 00:06:03,560 Speaker 2: pick up because the Granary is currently noted. Yeah, so 125 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:06,080 Speaker 2: we're definitely going to get creative. But we also take 126 00:06:06,080 --> 00:06:08,400 Speaker 2: people to like the fifty fourth monument and talk about 127 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:12,520 Speaker 2: you know Shaw and the ones that like kind of 128 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:15,720 Speaker 2: the Boston Brahmins did in their really big anti slavery 129 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:19,880 Speaker 2: bid and how much of foss or fiery abolitionists, and 130 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:22,640 Speaker 2: that we really did come together as the city to 131 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:25,719 Speaker 2: protect especially runaway slaves. And there's a lot of great 132 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:28,120 Speaker 2: stories there that we love to tell on the tour. 133 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:30,960 Speaker 1: Okay, and then how could people get tickets? I'm assuming 134 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:32,480 Speaker 1: they can't just show up? Or can they? 135 00:06:33,279 --> 00:06:36,760 Speaker 2: They absolutely can. Tickets are available at the Visitors Information 136 00:06:36,839 --> 00:06:40,440 Speaker 2: Center day of Also, tickets are on sale on our website, 137 00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:43,960 Speaker 2: the It's a definite article Vfreedomtrail dot org. 138 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:46,599 Speaker 1: Absolutely all right, Kelly, thank you so much for the time, 139 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:48,920 Speaker 1: and I hope your tours are not that chilly. 140 00:06:49,040 --> 00:06:51,599 Speaker 2: We are really looking forward to seeing everybody this black 141 00:06:51,600 --> 00:06:52,520 Speaker 2: at three months. 142 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:55,560 Speaker 1: Please join us again next week for another edition of 143 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:59,200 Speaker 1: the show. I'm Nicole Davis from WBZ News Radio on 144 00:06:59,279 --> 00:07:00,200 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio l