COMMUNITY HISTORY
Exploring, Documenting, and Sharing Cape May's Diverse History
CCA’s Community History Program is dedicated to discovering, preserving and presenting the African American history of Cape May County.
The Program creates annual exhibits and panel discussions in partnership with the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts, presents African American Heritage Walking Tours during Cape May’s tourist season and by appointment, and administers the growing John T. and Janet D. Nash Archives of African American History.
The Community History Program presents events and exhibits, such as our permanent exhibit at the Cape May County Museum in Cape May Court House.
RECOGNITION
The Center for Community Arts recently received The New Jersey Historical Commission Award of Recognition for the publication of “Black Voices of Cape May/A Feeling of Community.” The award recognizes contributions to and the preservation of New Jersey History.
The Program has the following accomplishments to its credit:
Won NJ African American Historic Site designation for Cape May’s Franklin Street School
Established the John and Janet Nash African American History Archives now preserving over 5,000 artifacts, oral histories and photographs of African American life in Cape May County.
Researched, scripted and now promote and offers the African American Walking Tour of Cape May.
CCA’s multi-award-winning community history program was recently cited by the New Jersey Historical Commission for an Award of Recognition for our publication of “Black Voices of Cape May/A Feeling of Community.” The award recognizes contributions to and the preservation of New Jersey History. In 2021, CCA was given a Champion of Diversity award jointly by the Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey and the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey (one of three made to Southern New Jersey organizations) and received a Library Champion award from the New Jersey Library Association for our work in saving and restoring the Franklin Street School, and its repurposing as a branch of the Cape May County Library.
Pictured from left to right: Izzy Gordon, Barbara Dreyfuss, Wanda Evelyn, Yvonne Wright-Gary, Rachel Dolhanczyk, Emily Dempsey, Hope Gaines, and Susan Tischler.
History Committee checking out the Black history tour sites
Ribbon cutting at 720 Franklin ST School
Emily Dempsey Giving a talk at the library
Green Book display at MAC
Upcoming Events
Programs at the Cape May County Library
Thursday January 15, 2026 Cape May and the Underground Railroad 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Join the Community History Committee from the Center for Community Arts (CCA) as they present an overview of the Underground Railroad Tour from the comfort of the Library. Learn of the places where escaped enslaved persons sought refuge and who helped continue their journeys to freedom. Hear about Harriet Tubman and Stephen Smith, a successful businessman, abolitionist, and unsung hero. The tour was accepted by the National Service to the Network to Freedom program.
Location: Cape May County Library at the Historic Franklin Street School, 720 Franklin Street, Cape May, NJ 08204
register at https://cmcl.org/events
Thursday February 26, 2026 Black Voices of Cape May: A Feeling of Community 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Join the Community History Committee from the Center for Community Arts (CCA) as they discuss their research and collection of oral history from their award winning book, “A Feeling of Community.” Volunteers collected these stories over a 20+ year span, gathering a broad spectrum of lives, events, and perspectives on Cape May’s African American community. They will share highlights from the book and their experience writing the book - while social distancing - during the Pandemic.
Location: Cape May County Library at the Historic Franklin Street School, 720 Franklin Street, Cape May, NJ 08204
Register at https://cmcl.org/events
Thursday March 19, 2026 Cape May African American Heritage 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Join the Community History Committee from the Center for Community Arts (CCA) as they present an overview of the Cape May African American Heritage Walking Tour from the comfort of the Library. Hidden in plain sight among Victorian Cape May are stories of Blacks-only beaches and USO, the thriving African American businesses, the social and religious community and the segregated Franklin Street School.
Location: Cape May County Library at the Historic Franklin Street School, 720 Franklin Street, Cape May, NJ 08204
register at https://cmcl.org/events
Past Exhibits
exhibits by Community Center For The Arts in partnership with many great supporters
