Black Family Life: Building Community in Bondage and in Freedom

Love Family and Resilience in Early Portsmouth

Step into the streets of early Portsmouth and discover the deeply human stories of love family resilience and belonging during this 90 minute guided walking tour. Led by Sankofa Scholar and Tour Guide Daniel Comly, the experience explores the lives of Black families who built relationships raised children and created strong communities during a period marked by enslavement separation and uncertainty.

Through careful research and thoughtful storytelling, learn about the people whose lives unfolded in Portsmouth and the challenges they faced. Despite restrictions placed upon them, these families formed meaningful relationships married raised children and worked to create stable lives. Their stories offer a personal look at how families found strength and connection during difficult times.

Walk through the streets connected with these families while hearing true stories of courage determination and community. Discover how people refused to allow the circumstances around them to define their identity or future. Their experiences reveal the importance of family relationships and community support while showing how individuals worked to maintain dignity and create a sense of belonging.

The tour brings these stories together through storytelling and conversation, inviting guests to think about what it means to build a home sustain love and belong to a community. Rather than focusing only on major historical events, the experience highlights the everyday human experiences that shaped Portsmouth. The tour leaves from the office at 2 pm, with guests asked to arrive 10 minutes before departure. Tours operate rain or shine.