Community

Project to Restore Allensworth, Historic All-Black Calif. Town

“Allensworth has not been part of the conversations of reparations,” Broomfield said. “But (GEIG) is now bringing it to the forefront so that family members of the original Allensworth community, who are still living, are able to get reparations.”

Published

5 years ago

September 5, 2021

Isabelle Price

Allensworth Town Sign; Photo courtesy of California Black Media

As the California reparations task force determines the impact of slavery on the lives of Black Californians, a Black-led business management group in the Central Valley is revitalizing an obscure national treasure: Lt. Col. Allen Allensworth State Historical Park.

The project pays tribute to Allensworth, California, a town founded by African Americans in 1908. The history of the settlement speaks to the perseverance of African Americans and the terror that they experienced.

Last week, at a ceremony held at the park, Global Economic Impact Group, LLC (GEIG) and the African American Network of Kern County (AANKC) announced the launch of their revitalization effort.

At the event, California State Parks and Recreation official Russ Dingman gave details about the groups’ plans to continue the late Lt. Col. Allen Allensworth’s vision, one of the town’s founders and its namesake.

“Col. Allensworth, with three other families, built this because of Jim Crow-ism,” said Randall Cooper, CEO of GEIG. “We want to be a part of the restoration.”

About 50 people attended the launch event held at Allensworth visitors’ center. Among guests were members of the Black American Political Association of California-Fresno (BAPAC), San Joaquin Valley Chapter of Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA), Fresno Black Farmers, Friends of Allensworth and others.

State officials present, virtually and in-person, included representatives from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office.

Remnants of the colony that had a population of about 300 Black residents during its heyday can be found at the park.

Allensworth was an educator and U.S. Army’s chaplain to four Black regiments. He was born into slavery in Kentucky. After leaving the Army, he moved to Los Angeles with his wife Josephine Leavell Allensworth.

In 1908, Allensworth and Pasadena-based educator William Payne formed two organizations: the California Colony and Home Promotion Association (HPA) to create a settlement where Black people could live free from discrimination and racism.

The organizations purchased 900 acres for the town. By 1909, Allensworth had become the first California town founded, financed, and governed by Black Americans.

The town had a church, post office, hotel, library, two schools and numerous businesses that offered the essentials and comforts of a thriving community.

Socially, Allensworth bustled with activity. There were sewing circles, holiday events, glee clubs, an orchestra, fishing, hunts for jackrabbits, and more.

By 1914, “a difficult year for the town” the brochure states, Allensworth began suffering from droughts and the lack of irrigation for farmlands.

Some historians believe, by 1925, racist White authorities intimidated by Allensworth’s success were behind the Pacific Farming Company’s decision to cut off the town’s irrigation water supply. Fighting the action in court helped to deplete Allensworth finances.

The Santa Fe Railroad closed a major railway stop important to the town’s commerce, citing Allensworth’s low water level. That also factored into Allensworth’s economic decline.

Also, that year, the town’s inspirational leader Allensworth was struck by a motorcycle as he crossed the street in Monrovia, California. He died on Sept. 14, 1914, at the age of 72.

The residents of the Black town tried to carry on Allensworth’s vision but struggled when drought, poor crop harvests, and other hardships further deteriorated living conditions.

Recruitment of the town’s men to fight in World War I also decimated Allensworth’s population.

Allensworth has been the target of demolition many times dating back to the 1960s, but the state of California bought the land in 1974 and turned it into a state park. About 70,000 guests visit every year.

Gail Crooms, who lives in Central Valley, says it is important to keep the Black heritage of the area alive.

“I wanted to be a part of this the first time I visited Allensworth in 1999,” said Crooms, who is GEIG’s Director of Business Development.

“It had always been my dream to put a Historical Black College and University (HBCU) on this site.”

California’s Assembly Bill (AB) 3121, signed into law in 2020, created a nine-member task force to investigate the history and costs of slavery in California and around the United States.

The commission is examining the extent of California’s involvement in slavery, segregation, and the denial of Black citizens their constitutional rights.

It is also studying incidents of state-backed racial crimes, like the illegal shutting down and state acquisition of Black-owned property.

GEIG plans to restore landmarks and build a museum, an amphitheater, a water park, campground and other attractions.

“You don’t hear about Black history in California and the West Coast,” Broomfield said. “Because of what happened to Black Wall Street people are becoming aware of what happened to Black communities.”

Isabelle Price

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Community

Four Candidates, Including Incumbent Barbara Lee, Qualify for Oakland Mayor’s Race

POST NEWS GROUP — Four candidates, including incumbent Mayor Barbara Lee, filed their papers to run for office by last Friday’s deadline, and the City Clerk issued a list this week of those who are qualified to run.

Published

24 hours ago

August 15, 2026

bpusa-syndication

View of downtown Oakland, California and City Hall. iStock photo.

By Post Staff

The four mayoral candidates who will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot are:

Brenda Grisham. A business owner in East Oakland and public safety advocate, Grisham led the successful recall campaign against Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price. As part of her platform, she pledges to work with local, state, and federal partners to secure stricter gun control measures and investments in community violence intervention programs.

Barbara Lee. A former congressional representative and state Assembly member, Lee was elected by voters in a special election last year for a two-year term. Now running for a four-year term, she points out that her administration achieved major successes in addressing some of the city’s major challenges, including balancing the city budget, dramatically reducing crime, and making significant inroads into homelessness and illegal dumping.

Mindy Pechenuk. An educator and activist, Pechenuk is a registered Republican and supporter of Lyndon LaRouche, who has been described by observers as a conspiracy theorist and cult leader. She ran unsuccessfully for mayor in last year’s special election and for the at-large council seat in 2024. She seeks to end Oakland’s police commission and MACRO and invest in more police while launching a new local war on drugs.

Julius Robinson. While little information is available so far about Robinson, he was quoted in a KTVU story about Thao’s recall, stating that people in Oakland want to come together as a community but lack infrastructure and leadership.

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Black History

Oakland Observes Black August with Block Parties, Film Showings, Workshops

POST NEWS GROUP — Beginning in 1979 in San Quentin State Prison, the Black Guerrilla Family called for the remembrance of political prisoner George Jackson and his brother Jonathan Jackson who were assassinated in the early 1970s. George Jackson was considered a political prisoner in that it was the anti-Black justice system that led to his incarceration for armed robbery with a sentence of one year-to-life in 1960.

Published

1 day ago

August 15, 2026

bpusa-syndication

George Jackson wrote two books: “Soledad Brother,” and “Blood in My Eye” before her was killed in an attempt to escape prison on Aug. 21, 1971.

By Jana Lang, Propel Youth Reporter

Study. Train. Fast. Fight.

These are the four tenets of Black August, a month dedicated to commemorating the sacrifices of political prisoners and Black revolutionaries in the struggle for Black liberation.

Observers are urged to study the history of the Black struggle for freedom, train their bodies for health and self-defense, fast to cleanse the mind, body, and spirit, and fight ongoing oppression alongside their communities and local political organizations.

Beginning in 1979 in San Quentin State Prison, the Black Guerrilla Family called for the remembrance of political prisoner George Jackson and his brother Jonathan Jackson who were assassinated in the early 1970s. George Jackson was considered a political prisoner in that it was the anti-Black justice system that led to his incarceration for armed robbery with a sentence of one year-to-life in 1960.

While in prison, George befriended fellow prisoner W.L. Nolen, who introduced him to the works of Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Mao Zedong, and Frantz Fanon. This radicalization coupled with his experiences of violence while imprisoned led to him writing and publishing two books, “Soledad Brother” (1970), and “Blood in my Eye” (1972). In January of 1970, George and two other prisoners were charged with murdering a corrections officer at Soledad State Prison in Monterey County.

On Aug. 7, 1970, Jonathan Jackson burst into a Marin County courtroom armed with a shotgun to demand the freedom of the Soledad Brothers. He, along with the inmates he freed, was shot and killed while driving away. This involved one of the Black Panther Party’s most notable associates, Angela Davis, because the shotgun was registered in her name. She was later acquitted of charges of conspiracy, kidnapping, and murder in 1972.

On Aug. 21, 1971, George Jackson was assassinated by a corrections officer after attempting to escape and free other inmates. As a result, there were uprisings and protests within prisons all over the country that year, calling forth resistance against racial oppression and mass incarceration.

Since its outset, Black August has evolved across the country, taking many forms to honor this history and embody the four tenets.

In Oakland, the upcoming Black August Experience, hosted by Youth Alive! and the East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA), is a free, family-friendly event celebrating the legacy of Black August. Activities include free food and drinks, a kids’ activity zone, interactive workshops, live cooking and boxing demonstrations, and more.

Happening on Aug. 21 from 4-8 p.m. at the EOBA Patio, Carolyn Flynn, director of administration at EOBA, said the event, in its second year, will be an opportunity to engage with people in person through food, shared space, and education.

“We do regular classes in education, and those are ongoing programs that we offer, but we wanted to have [an opportunity] for our neighbors to utilize this space.” Combined with Youth Alive’s work in community violence prevention and youth leadership, this event surely aims to bring the Oakland community together to capture what Black August means today.

Here are additional Black August events happening in Oakland:

Forum and Community Discussion hosted by the Oakland Liberation Center, 1499 Fruitvale Ave., Aug. 14, 7 p.m.

“George Jackson/San Quentin” Screening hosted by Nostalgic for Nothing Cinema at Moments Co-Op, 410 13th St., Aug. 16, doors at 6 p.m., show at 6:30 p.m. (Masks required and scent-free)

Commemorating the Struggle, Building the Altar for Liberation: Black August at Bandung Books, 2269 International Blvd., Aug. 23rd, 1-5 p.m.

Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), will host “Black August: The Arc of Liberation” at Oakland City Hall on Sat. Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.