Jackie Robinson is rightfully known as the man who courageously integrated Major League Baseball, but he was so much more than that. Veteran, father, husband, businessman and multi-sport star, you can learn about all things Robinson at the Jackie Robinson Museum in Manhattan. The sleek space honors both his athletic talent and life of activism through exhibits, artifacts and interactive storytelling. From there, hop across the river to East Flatbush in Brooklyn to see The Jackie Robinson House, where he and his wife lived during his early years of playing ball. The two-story brick duplex was declared a national historic landmark in 1976 and a plaque commemorates his life there. Finally, it’s off to the former site of Ebbets Field, where Robinson smashed baseball records, won Rookie of the Year in 1947 and a World Series in 1955. Though the stadium no longer stands, there are plaques and a commemorative home plate on the sidewalk to celebrate the history made here.

Gwendolyn Brooks was one of the most celebrated poets of the 20th century. Born in Topeka, Kansas but raised in Chicago, she often drew from her life experiences and those of her surrounding Black community to inspire her work. By age 16, she published around 75 poems and later went on to become the first African American to win a Pulitzer Prize in 1950 at the age of 33. The Gwendolyn Brooks House, where she lived for more than 40 years, is now a city landmark on Chicago’s South Side. Brooks took poetry classes at the nearby South Side Community Art Center, which is still a major hub for art and creativity. This is also where the author edited many of the poems in her famed collection “A Street in Bronzeville” and where poet Langston Hughes saw her perform her work. Finally, don’t miss a visit to Brooks Park to see “The Oracle of Bronzeville” monument featuring a bronze bust of Brooks, a porch modeled after her childhood writing spot and a stone path etched with quotes from her poems.