Experience the T. Thomas Fortune Cultural Center; you’ll be glad you did
The holidays are upon us, and what better time than to make time to explore Black American History with family and friends. Located on the NJ Black Heritage Trail, the T. Thomas Fortune Cultural Center, in Red Bank, was designated a National Historic Landmark by the United States Department of the Interior in 1976 and by NJ in 1979.
T. Thomas Fortune, who was born into slavery in Marianna, Florida, in 1856, became one of the most prominent Black newspaper editors and publishers of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, and a champion of civil rights. He was dubbed the “Dean of the Black Press,” and is known today as the “bridge to the modern-day civil rights movement.”
The Fortune Family lived in the Victorian-style home from 1901-1911, when Red Bank was fertile ground for social activity and Black activism. During this time, Red Bank was also home to the Basie Family. Harvey and Lillian Basie migrated from Chase City, Va., to the little hub on the Navesink River, where their son, William James “Count” Basie, was born in 1904. There was the Parker Family of medical professionals who arrived in Red Bank from Florida at the turn of the 20th Century. Dr. James Wesley Parker Sr., the first Black physician, opened his practice in 1916. His son, Dr. James Wesley Parker Jr., and his nephew, Dr. James Alvin Parker, the first Black dentist, practiced together and served the Greater Red Bank community for over 80 years.
The T. Thomas Fortune Cultural Center is honored to tell these stories with exhibits professionally curated to do more than pique your interest. The exhibits engage visitors culturally with an awareness that’s historically been missing in the American narrative, about Black social engineers, many of whom you’ve never heard of. What you’ll see is also aesthetically pleasing and chock-full with information that creates a natural learning experience.
You’ll be thrilled that you made the trip, no matter where you come from. Upstairs, you’ll visit the Carrie Smiley Fortune Library, which houses over 1,000 books and music on Black History and culture, along with a children’s section. The Fortune Cultural Exchange Gift Shop is filled with souvenirs, books, unique jewelry, art, and a cultural experience you won’t forget.
The home, which is located at 94 Drs. James Parker Blvd., is open on Thursday and Friday for school tours, from 9 a.m.- 2 p.m. It is open on Saturday and Sunday to the public, from 1 p.m. to 5 pm. The suggested donation is $12. Please visit the website for events and to stay informed: www.tthomasfortuneculturalcenter.org. Contact: jazmin@tthomasfortunefoundation.org for additional information.
