CAIRO, ILL. (WSIL) — Cairo is making history, quite literally, with the launch of the Cairo African American Heritage Trail & Oral History Project. It's a groundbreaking initiative set to bring the city’s rich Black heritage into the headlines.

The official kickoff takes place Friday, December 5, 2025 at 5 p.m. inside the Cairo High and Jr./Sr. High School cafeteria. That is where community members will gather to celebrate a project that promises to honor the past while shaping the future. Guests can look forward to light refreshments and a special musical performance by Cairo High School students as a tribute from the next generation to the ones whose stories paved the way.

The project is led by The Cairo Historical Preservation Project, Inc. in partnership with the University of Illino

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