Every place has a story. Storytelling has the power to transport a listener back in time or foster a deeper appreciation of places and communities today. Explore fascinating locations and stories from the comfort of your home with National Geographic’s new Virtual Field Trips. Each trip features video segments, trivia quizzes, and a Q&A with featured Explorers. 

This month, National Geographic Explorers Candacy Taylor and Asha Stuart shared captivating stories of significant contributions in Black history and how they’ve impacted our world today. Missed the event on February 26? View the recording on YouTube to explore the following topics and more with your learners: 

Mapping The Green Book with Candacy Taylor
In 1936, New York City mailman Victor Hugo Green first created The Green Book, a guidebook for Black travelers listing safe places and services during the era of Jim Crow laws. Today, social documentarian and National Geographic grantee Candacy Taylor is documenting past and present sites featured in The Green Book in order to preserve this critical part of our history. Through photos, stories, and an interactive map, Candacy shares the importance of maintaining and visualizing sites of the 20th century. 

Photographing Stories with Asha Stuart
Photographing her way around Mosquito Beach, South Carolina, National Geographic Explorer Asha Stuart exercises the power of storytelling. Her current subjects, the Gullah Geechee people, came to America as slaves in the 1700s and honor their African heritage through language, food, and music. By working with and among this community, Asha brings their stories to life and celebrates the importance of culture. Students will learn to observe their own communities, recognize the role they play, and use their own unique perspectives to share life experiences. 

Continue highlighting the work and achievements of Black changemakers throughout the year with our Resource Library collection, free Explorer Classroom sessions with scientists, researchers, and storytellers from around the globe, and past recordings on YouTube. Stay tuned for more Virtual Field Trip opportunities and events this spring by following @NatGeoEducation on Twitter and Facebook!

This Virtual Field Trip is in partnership with the DC Collaborative. For more Washington, DC arts and humanities educational programs, check out the DC Collaborative – http://www.dccollaborative.org.

Feature image by National Geographic Society