Through Black Heritage Tours, cultural historian Jennifer Tosch is making sure the hidden history of the African diaspora is more visible in the Netherlands and New York. Tosch founded Black Heritage Tours in 2013. Connecting the dots of her own family’s history was the inspiration for her growing initiatives in the two cities.
“My family, my parents, my ancestors, all come from Suriname in South America, a former Dutch colony,” she tells Travel Noire. “I’m a first generation born in New York. Most of my family lives in the Netherlands and has lived there since 1944.”
Tosch has what she calls “a lot of connected histories” between the U.S., Suriname, the Caribbean, and the Netherlands. As a student, she traveled to the Netherlands to deepen her knowledge of her family’s history. This journey stirred something in her spirit – there was a hidden Black history that no one was discussing. Now, she’s changing the narrative through her tours with Black Heritage Tours in New York City and Amsterdam.
“When I first came to the Netherlands, there was a lot of what we call ‘historical denial and distancing,’” says Tosch. “People were often told there was no Black history and there was no Black presence. It was only seen as ‘far away from here’ and in the colonies.”
The choice to explore New York and the Netherlands is not random. Tosch says New York is important to the Black history of the Netherlands because it was first colonized by the Dutch in the 17th century. Significant traces of the colonial past are visible in New York State, beyond Manhattan.
“Right now, we’re in the middle of this sort of commemoration year in New York to commemorate 400 years ago that New Netherland was founded,” says Tosch, adding that New Netherland was the original name of New York. “There are histories that connect the Atlantic, the Indian Ocean, the Caribbean, and South America. We take people on this amazing journey through the cities, exploring that human history and making meaning of it.”
How The Tour Deepens The Knowledge Of Black History
When people travel to Amsterdam, the Red Light District and coffee shops are some of the most popular attractions. Tosch is challenging people to dig deeper. She’s doing the work and collaborating with various organizations, including Mapping Slavery in the Netherlands. The partnership allows Tosch to offer a rich experience for visitors who want to learn more about Black history. As she points out, global history is all interconnected.
“There’s a very rich history here that has been, for a very long time, overlooked. It’s not a history centered only around slavery because our history did not begin with slavery,” says Tosch. “Slavery is a central part of that story, but we also talk about the Freedom Seekers, the self-emancipated activism, the fight for social justice.”
Tosch says heritage tours in New York are by a charted bus while Amsterdam experiences are by boat. Visit the company’s website for those interested in booking an experience with Black Heritage Tours. She has also authored various books that work as a guide for teaching people about Black history throughout Europe.
