Louisiana African American Heritage Trail (French: Sentier de l'héritage afro-américain de la Louisiane) is a cultural heritage trail with 38 sites designated by the state of Louisiana, from New Orleans along the Mississippi River to Baton Rouge and Shreveport, with sites in small towns and plantations also included.[1][2] In New Orleans several sites are within a walking area. Auto travel is required to reach sites outside the city.
A variety of African-American museums devoted to art, history and culture are on the "trail", as is the Cane River Creole National Historical Park, and the first two churches founded by and for free people of color. The trail includes two extensive plantation complexes, with surviving slave quarters used by people who lived and worked at the plantations — until 1930 in one case, and into the 1960s at the other. Two historically black universities are also on the trail.[1][2]
Mitch Landrieu, as Lieutenant Governor, supported the establishment of the cultural heritage trail in order to highlight the many contributions of African Americans to the culture of Louisiana and the United States; and to promote these sites as destinations for tourism, which is increasingly important to the state's economy. The state established the trail with 26 sites in 2008, more were added in 2012 and 2019, and the list was expanded to 38 with an announcement from Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser in 2022.[3]
