Black Heritage Trail Marker Installation

Join the Borough of Lawnside and the New Jersey Historical Commission on Friday, June 19, 2026 for the dedication and unveiling of a New Jersey Black Heritage Trail marker honoring the 100th anniversary of the first incorporated, self-governing Black town in the northeast. The unveiling will be followed by a tour of the borough led by Lawnside educator E. Muneerah Higgs. Mrs. Higgs will also lead a borough tour on Saturday, June 27, after the Lawnside Heritage Day parade. Register for the tours at www.bit.ly/tourlawnside

Lawnside, New Jersey was officially incorporated as the first northern independent, self-governing Black municipality on March 24, 1926. In the twentieth century, Lawnside became well known for its jazz scene as several nationally recognized celebrities and performers visited its various jazz clubs. After the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968, the school board passed a resolution making his birthday a holiday becoming the first in the nation to honor him.