NEWBURGH – In honor of Juneteenth, NFA West English teacher and advisor Jillian Paige-Lyons, wanted to highlight the rich African- American history of Newburgh. As part of a Big Picture school here in the district, there is an emphasis on leaving to learn, and Newburgh is packed full of amazing places to learn about. When she found the walking tours put together by the Sound and Story Project of the Hudson Valley she knew exactly where she would take the students on a leave-to-learn to celebrate Juneteenth. The tour, titled Washington’s Shadow, was developed by Tashae Smith, and leads listeners to three historic landmarks in the city.
The first stop the students made on the tour was the Newburgh Rec which was the former site of the Colored School. Here students learned that the Newburgh school district ended segregation of schools 80 years before the rest of the country thanks to the efforts of the Alsdorf family.
The next stop was the AME Mt. Zion church which is the oldest African American church in Newburgh.
The last stop was Alsdorf Hall where students learned about the musical Alsdorf family.This is just the start to what we hope will be a yearly part of our Juneteenth celebration.
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