A girl with a t - shirt that says i am black history - black history sites

Self-guided · principal city, Michigan

Black History Sites in Portage, MI

Schools, churches, cemeteries and neighborhoods built and kept by Black Americans, listed with the history on the record.

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Photo: Anthony McKissic on Unsplash

Portage is one of the cities the Kalamazoo–Portage, MI metro area is officially named after. Black History Sites are spread across the country in places most people would not guess. The list below shows how close the nearest ones are to Portage, MI.

People sitting on chairs near black metal fence during daytime - black history sites — Photo: Derek Lamar on Unsplash

A young African American woman casting her ballot in 1964 - black history sites — Photo: Unseen Histories on Unsplash

Rosa Parks gives a speech at the Poor Peoples March in 1968 - black history sites — Photo: Unseen Histories on Unsplash

On the record near Portage, MI

The 12 nearest

14 listed sites on the record match black history sites within 200 miles of Portage, MI, out of 77 listed sites of every kind within 25 miles.

Lowell Heights-Olivet African Methodist Episcopal Church49 miles from the center of Portage · Building · South Bend · listed 2023National Register of Historic Places
Calvary United Brethren-Turner Chapel AME Church81 miles from the center of Portage · Building · Fort Wayne · listed 2022National Register of Historic Places
Quinn Chapel of the A.M.E. Church108 miles from the center of Portage · Building · Chicago · listed 1979National Register of Historic Places
Rosenwald Apartment Building108 miles from the center of Portage · Building · Chicago · listed 1981National Register of Historic Places
Shrine of the Black Madonna of the Pan African Orthodox Christian Church127 miles from the center of Portage · Building · Detroit · listed 2021National Register of Historic Places
Shaffer Chapel A. M. E. Church138 miles from the center of Portage · Building · Muncie · listed 2025National Register of Historic Places
St.Stephens' AME Church157 miles from the center of Portage · Building · Sandusky · listed 1982National Register of Historic Places
African Jackson Cemetery158 miles from the center of Portage · Site · Piqua · listed 1982National Register of Historic Places
Bethel AME Church of Crawfordsville164 miles from the center of Portage · Building · Crawfordsville · listed 2001National Register of Historic Places
Bethel A.M.E. Church168 miles from the center of Portage · Building · Richmond · listed 1975National Register of Historic Places
Indiana State Federation of Colored Women's Clubs169 miles from the center of Portage · Building · Indianapolis · listed 1987National Register of Historic Places
Colored Knights of Pythias Castle Hall170 miles from the center of Portage · Building · Indianapolis · listed 2021National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of Portage, MI. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

Black History Sites in Portage, step by step

1
Read the short history of the period for this area
2
Open the map filtered to the sites from that chapter
3
Visit the nearest site and read its full record
4
Ask what the marker leaves out and look for the rest
5
Add the site to a route that follows the period in order

What people in Portage, MI ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in Portage, MI?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Are the hard parts of this history included?

Yes. The record is shown as published, and the stories behind the markers include what happened, who it happened to, and how it was remembered. Leaving the hard parts out would make the stop less worth the trip.

Why are there so many of these sites near Portage, MI?

Most areas have more than people expect, because the registers list every surviving building and site tied to a period, not just the famous ones. The list on this page shows exactly what is on the record nearby.

How a visit works in Portage

Step 1
Find the place
Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In Portage, MI the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.
Step 2
Read the story
The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.
Step 3
Get there under your own power
Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in Portage, MI are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.
Step 4
Collect it and come back
Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.