Tucked away in Niagara Falls is the Underground Railroad Heritage Center, full of proud history and keepers of.

Jasiah Jackson-Hackett is taking a class of local high schoolers on a regularly scheduled tour, engaging students year-round for years since they were walking through.

"I was one of those teenagers that was walking out of school or protesting or organizing protests and stuff. I'm able to use that to kind of fuel the work that I do today to help power the kids," said Jackson-Hackett.

Not too far removed from those being educated certainly helps.

"They're only 16, 17. I'm only 21, right? So some of the same things they see on their social media and some of the same things that they're exposed to," said Jackson-Hackett. "I've already been exposed to already, I already know."

The tour is much more of a conversation than just a walkthrough, which is why young men and women like Kerry-Ann Lewis are really learning.

"First time I came, I was like, it was the eye opener and it was just amazing," said Kenmore West junior Lewis. "People need to know like what happened and how like we're so much like, stronger, we are, and how we evolved."

Not every stop along the way is paved with feel-good stories from February to February, but what it does have is impactful.

"If a 17-year-old girl could come through here and see Cecelia Reynolds story and relate to that story, or see that somebody's story relates," said Jackson-Hackett. "They'll have a new found interest in history and that exposing them to way more."

Niagara Falls is just one of the many spots associated with the Underground Railroad across the Empire State, which brings much needed access to education and advocacy.

"I feel like we're very lucky to have those stories and to call those stories our home," said Jackson-Hackett.

And none of this gets lost on those who live, visit, and take it all in.

"I think the younger the you are, you know like what happened is more of like aware that you are and like you are open to all the stuff," said Lewis.

"It's important for us to be a resource for those kids, basically, that they can look to us to help them tell their stories, and to also help them for those uphill battles." said Jackson-Hackett.

Those battles may still be raging, but just being able to look into the past and work on the future.

"Well, we're going to get there eventually," said Lewis.