Welcome to A Shared Heritage

A Shared Heritage invites you to discover key people, places, and events associated with the history of African Americans in Erie County, Pennsylvania, and learn how they contribute to the economic, political, and cultural broader story of our region. Sites on the Driving Tour include both existing structures as well as locations where physical evidence of the past is long gone. Elsewhere on this site, we hope you will be inspired by the early pioneers, community leaders, and freedom fighters who helped forge our shared American story, as well as excerpts from oral history interviews with leading contemporary voices of the African American community.

Take the Driving Tour

Voices in African American History

African Americans in Erie County: A Brief History

Pioneers, Community Builders, & Freedom Fighters