History of African Americans in state showcased

Black Californians have been an important part of history within California’s rural communities.

There is a traveling exhibit at Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park in Earlimart exploring the history of African Americans in rural California.

The exhibit will run from Saturday, June 19 to Sunday, Aug. 1 with highlights and untold stories of black farmers, ranchers and rural residents. These stories will create new narratives about freedom, self-governance and civic culture.

“We are not strangers here: African American Histories in Rural California” is a collaboration between the Cal Ag Roots Project at the California Institute for Rural Studies, the California Historical Society (Susan Anderson); Exhibit Envoy and Dr. Caroline Collins, Post-Doc research from UC San Diego.

In 1908 Colonel Allen Allensworth and four other men established a town founded, financed and governed by African Americans in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley. The community stemmed from a strong belief in self-reliance.

It has been a century since the town has been founded. For additional information on the people who settled there and Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park, visit the webpage at http://www.parks.ca.gov.