Celebrating family heritage.

For an unforgettable family reunion, include side trips to historic sites.

Family reunions offer opportunities to explore your roots while discovering the world. Traveling to your destination can mean an inexpensive vacation--or the trip of a lifetime. Instead of gathering at the family homestead, families are now holding reunions in resort towns, aboard cruise ships or in major cities near African-American historical sites. With the growing interest in African-American history, art and culture--and not just from black tourists--many states are developing landmarks commemorating this rich heritage. Historic Black Landmarks: A Traveler's Guide by George Cantor (Visible Ink Press, Detroit, Mich., $17.95) is a state-by-state guide to important historical African-American sites that can help plan your journey. Here is a sampling of some vacation destinations that will make getting to know your family and your history more exciting.

NEW ENGLAND'S BLACK HERITAGE

Surprisingly, Now England offers a wealth of black history. Boston's Black Heritage Trail includes the African Meeting House in Beacon Hill, which is the oldest remaining black church structure. It also includes the Robert Gould Shaw & The 54th Massachusetts Regiment Memorial, which honors the first all-black U.S. military unit, whose exploits were depicted in the movie Glory. Great Barrington, a city in western Massachusetts, is home to both the W.E.B. DuBois Homesite & Park and the country workshop of African-American composer and poet James Weldon Johnson.

Southeast from Boston, along the Massachusetts shore, lie several culturally and ethnically diverse communities. The Wampanoag indian Grounds in Mashpee is the site of annual pow-wows held by descendents of the tribe. Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard, which is farther south, has been a summer retreat for African-Americans since the religious campgrounds were established in the 1800s.

The Underground Railroad ran through much of New England, and several of the sites where runaway slaves were hidden can be visited today. The Rev. Joshua Young Home and The Salmon Wires House, both located in Burlington, Vt., are part of a network of cellars and attics that were used as hiding places for fugitive slaves. The Episcopal Parish House and The Lamb House in Gardiner, Maine, are similar sites, which recreate the conditions endured by runaways en route to Canada.

The Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, Conn., part of The Amistad Foundation, houses more than 6,000 photographs and artifacts covering the black experience in America, from the shackles of the Middle Passage to the art, science and literary contributions of famous African-Americans. Newport, R.I., one of New England's main slave trading ports, is the site of The Slave Market on Long Wharf and Washington St. Also worth seeing while in Newport are The Isaac Rice Homestead, home of an African-American who harbored fugitive slaves such as Frederick Douglass, and the Rev. M.A. Van Home Home, the residence of a prominent African-American minister during Reconstruction.

For more information on Boston's Black Heritage Trail (African Meeting House), contact the Museum of Afro-American History, 46 Joy St., Boston, MA 02114. A Cultural Guide to African-American Heritage in New England lists 375 black historical sites in the region and features a foldout map identifying each location. For a copy, contact CTS Ltd., P.O. Box 552, Maiden, MA 02148 ($10.95 plus $2.50 shipping and handling).

HEADING SOUTH

Visitors to the eastern shore of Virginia, which includes Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach, should venture to nearby cities for a taste of African-American history. At Colonial Williamsburg, tours now include historical information about the influence wielded by 18th- and 19th-century African-Americans. Visitors can view rebuilt slave quarters and a living history demonstration of early black life called "The Other Half."

About 50 miles northwest of Williamsburg lies the capital of Virginia, Richmond. Exhibits at The Valentine Museum have been reinterpreted to accurately reflect the historical character of the city and the contributions of black Americans. Jackson Ward, a National Historic District is one of the oldest and most recognized black neighborhoods in the United States. Located in downtown Richmond, the neighborhood's boundaries extend from the Virginia Union University campus to the edge of the central business district. Jackson Ward was home to Maggie L. Walker, one of Richmond's most respected businesswomen and the first woman in the United States to found a bank. The bank she founded, the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank, is now the consolidated Bank and Trust Co., a BE financial firm. The district was also the home of tap dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. The neighborhood offers many fine examples of Greek Revival architecture in homes that have been owned by generations of African-American families.

In Norfolk, visitors will find The Black Civil War Veteran's Memorial at the Elmwood Cemetery on Princess Anne Road. it is believed to be the only memorial in the country to the black soldiers who fought in the war. Farther north, in Annapolis, Md., is the Banneker-Douglass Museum of Afro-American Life and History. Named for scientist and surveyor Benjamin Banneker and abolitionist Frederick Douglass, the museum includes objects and exhibits relating to the African-American history and culture of Maryland.

For tour information on Colonial Williamsburg, call 804-220-7645. Call or write The Valentine Museum at 1015 E. Clay St., Richmond, VA 23219, 804-649-0711. The Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site is located at 110 1/2 Leigh St.; call 804-780-1380 for schedule information. For more information on the Banneker-Douglass Museum, call 410-974-2893.

PAST AND PRESENT IN TENNESSEE

Tennessee, one of several southern states recalling its civil rights past, offers a diverse sampling of African-American cultural heritage.

Memphis is one of the cities selected by the National Council of Negro Women for its annual Black Family

Reunion Celebration, September 18-20

The city is ripe with black history. Last year, the National Civil Rights Museum opened in Memphis at the former Lorraine Motel, site of Dr. Martin Luther assassination. The museum's exhibits include recreations of turbulent events during the Civil Rights Movement. Visitors are encouraged to participate in the exhibits, which include a burned-out bus display and a lunch counter. At the end of the tour, visitors can see the second-floor balcony where King was slain. The Beale Street Historic District and night life tour explore some of the people and places, including W.C. Handy's Home, that made Memphis the birthplace of the blues.

About 45 miles north of Memphis in Henning, Tenn., is the Alex Holey House. On the "Roots Tour" of the late author's boyhood home, you will find portraits and other mementos of Haley's family. You can also visit the burial site of the author's famous ancestor, Chicken George. The Afro-American Museum in Chattanooga should interest blues fans. The museum houses Bessie Smith's piano and other mementos, as well as photographs and artifacts of other noted African-Americans from the city.

The National Civil Rights Museum is located at 406 Mulberry St; call 901-521-9699 for schedule information. Contact the Beale Street information Center at 901-521-9699 for information about tours of the district. For information about other historic sites around the state, write to the Department of Tourist Development, P.O. Box 23170, Nashville, TN 37202; or call 615-741-2158.

CULTURAL CRUISING

Not all African-American cultural celebrations are landed. "A Taste of Blackness," a seven-night luxury cruise on board the M/S Caribe will celebrate the contributions, culture and heritage of African-Americans. Historically, cruises have not been marketed to blacks," says Carl Withers of J. Sales Inc., a Coral Springs, Fla.-based travel agency. The cruise is designed to recognize and promote points of interest to African-American and African-Caribbean tourists at various ports of call, says Withers. The cost ranges from $875 to $1995, depending on accommodations and includes a $250 air fare allowance. The cruise is scheduled to depart from Miami on Jan. 2,1993. Contact Heritage Tours International Ltd., 9734 W. Sample Road, Coral Spring, FL 33065-4049.