When I first visited O‘ahu, I felt an instant, almost spiritual connection as I walked through a rainforest’s dense, muddy pathways. Along the labyrinthine trails, I saw alien-like flora, and symphonic bird calls sounded in the distance. As we walked, my guide, Evan Mokuahi Hayes, shared stories about the creation of some of Hawai‘i’s wondrous natural terrain. He also spoke about the Black history of Hawai‘i.
Hayes is not just an informed citizen—he’s also the founder of the Native Hawaiian– and Black-owned tour company Ho‘omau O‘ahu Tours Inc. Started in 2023, Ho‘omau brings visitors to sites around Hawai‘i to help educate the community about Native Hawaiian culture, history, and the Black residents who supported and advocated for the survival of Hawaiians, while acknowledging the negative impact of colonial powers.
One of the earliest records of Black settlers in Hawai‘i is Mr. Keakaeleele, who resided on O‘ahu in the 18th century. A maritime merchant and deckhand, Keakaeleele is said to have built a storehouse for Queen Kaahumanu and King Kamehameha I. Another resident, Anthony D. Allen, was born into slavery in 1774 in New York and arrived in Hawai‘i after purchasing his freedom; among his other contributions, he started the first bowling alley in Hawai‘i. As an advisor to King Kamehameha I, Allen was given six acres of land in Waikīkī for his services to the royal family.
“African American figures played prominent roles in Hawaiian society,“ Mokuahi said. “They came to Hawai‘i seeking experiences outside of what they had in [mainland] America and they found freedom.”
Taken together, the following five sites are vital reminders of the role that Black communities played in Hawai‘i’s resilience—and continue to play in its cultural preservation.
Aliʻiolani Hale and Iolani Palace
Iolani Palace is the only royal palace in the U.S.
Photographs courtesy of the Digital Archives of Hawai’i
Thomas McCants Stewart was a powerful figure within King Kalākaua’s cabinet from 1898 to 1904. A clergyman and lawyer from New York, Stewart served as the king’s legal advisor, playing a pivotal role in advocating for Hawaiians’ land rights and helping reshape the political landscape of 19th-century Hawai‘i. Both Aliʻiolani Hale and Iolani Palace are located in downtown Honolulu: Aliʻiolani Hale, the building where Stewart once worked as a lawyer, houses the Hawai‘i State Supreme Court, while Iolani Palace, a building Stewart often visited, stands as the only royal palace in the United States. There are daily tours (except on Mondays) at Iolani Palace, in which visitors can walk through exhibitions that feature King Kalākaua’s garb, living quarters, and historical legacy.
King Kaumualiʻi Elementary School
Carlotta Stewart was an integral part of Hawaiʻi’s early education system.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Carlotta Stewart Lai was a renowned educator and the first Black school principal in Hawai’i. The daughter of civil rights leader Thomas McCants Stewart (mentioned earlier), Lai led King Kaumualiʻi Elementary School in Hanamaulu, Kaua‘i from 1909 to 1951, playing a role in shaping the island’s education system. The Obama Hawaiian Africana Museum preserves much of her legacy, housing historical documents that reveal the depth of her contributions to both education and the community.
The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
A bronze plaque near Bachman Hall on the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa recognizes Alice Ball.
Photo by Osugi/Shutterstock
The campus of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa is often visited by travelers— particularly for the nearby Mānoa Falls hiking trail. But at the university proper, chemist and student Alice Ball developed the “Ball Method,“ a groundbreaking medical treatment that successfully treated those who contracted Hansen’s disease (leprosy) during the early 20th century. A bronze plaque located near the Chaulmoogra Tree next to Bachman Hall on campus commemorates her scientific innovations.
Kepaniwai Park
A small monument in Maui’s Kepaniwai Park honors Betsey Stockton, William Crockett, William Maples, and Nolle Smith—among the first Black missionaries, attorneys, judges, engineers, and physicians in Hawai‘i. Crockett became Maui’s first Black judge and attorney in 1901. On a whaling ship in 1823, former slave Betsey Stockton journeyed to Hawai‘i as the first African American woman and missionary to set foot on the islands. In 1900, William Maples became the first Black physician to practice in Maui. In 1942, Nolle Smith served as the head of the Hawai‘i Civil Service, putting several reforms in motion that would make voting more accessible for Native Hawaiian residents.
Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum
The Bishop Museum dates to 1889.
Photo courtesy of Bishop Museum
Inside the agricultural and historical district of Kalihi in Honolulu, the lava rock–constructed Bishop Museum holds the largest collection of Polynesian history in the world. Visitors can immerse themselves in the multi-story museum with its extensive collection of tribal relics and artifacts, as well as learn about the early Black travelers who arrived in Hawai‘i. Visitors get a complex, in-depth look of how Hawaiians harvested for survival and practiced rituals connected to the lunar cycle and nature.
