• Speightstown - Unapologetically Black: Blood in the Mortar of Speightstown stands as an act of resistance. With our landmarks obscured by colonial myths, we don’t tour what “is”—we tour what must be remembered. As few physical sites remain, gatherings at the Speightstown Esplanade bring to life the stories history has overlooked.

This town is unveiled as having more Free Black businesses than any other, serving as thriving centers of economic independence where Black shopkeepers and enslaved workers forged a bold, self-sufficient community. We chart the Price of Liberty: martyrs who were burned and beheaded; the Governor’s Campaign of Terror; and the Cost of Betrayal in Fortuna’s tale. We pay tribute to the Cuffee rebellion and the Black struggle of 1876, when the flames of revolt engulfed the Great House, causing the plantocracy to flee.

From the removal of the Skinner House to the autonomy of Tyrone’s Bar, we bridge the gap. We are the living archives of a history that was taken. Reclaimed. Unfiltered. Unapologetically Black.

• Bottle of water

We don’t just walk; we gather. By assembling at the Esplanade, we fill the silence left by historical erasure, enriching it with tales of Black economic sovereignty and resilience. From the “Blood in the Mortar” of the Skinner House to the vibrant success of Tyrone’s Bar, we connect the past of kidnapped Africans to their sovereign descendants. This is not merely a history lesson—it is a revival of the Black spirit.

At the Esplanade, we speak into the void where landmarks were erased. We honor the martyrs of the 1675 and 1692 plots—those who were burned and beheaded in these streets to break the Black spirit. We reveal the psychological warfare of Fortuna’s betrayal and the resilience found after the 1780 hurricane. We celebrate the town’s unique economic defiance: a hub of Free Black shopkeepers who operated underground trade networks with the enslaved. The fire of 1876 demonstrated that the Black struggle always reclaimed its own strength. This is just a glimpse of the many stories to be shared.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.