Why I march to preserve Allensworth
Posted by Brandon Ortiz on Mar 12
Doug Moore of the United Domestic Workers of America Homecare Providers Union has a wonderful story in the Huffington Post about Allensworth State Park. This is a must read.
Here is an excerpt:
In June of 1908, (Colonel Allen) Allensworth and four other men and women forged a new kind of society in the American frontier - the only town in California built, inhabited, governed and financed entirely by Black Americans. The town quickly rose to prominence in the region and would house more than 35 families in its first year, fueled by its close proximity to the railroad ...
Allensworth was an agricultural community, with a school, library, church, post office, restaurant, bakery, barber shop, grain storage and livery stable. It was also the site of civic groups, such as the Women's Progressive Improvement Association and the Allensworth Debating Society, which was then loosely associated with the University of California system.
The town's legacy is as complex as it is rich. Allensworth at once represented an effort by Blacks to insulate themselves from Jim Crow segregation, hostile mobs, attacks and outright lynchings, and a tangible, public expression of their aspiration for a free, self-reliant society.
Sadly, the Allensworth experiment was short-lived. The town would soon succumb to circumstances beyond the town's control. ... Following the Great Depression, the town all but disappeared. It wasn't until the 1970s that Allensworth received official government recognition for its heritage and was christened "Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park."
Today, unfortunately, Allensworth has again fallen on hard times. State budget cuts have curtailed the park's services and hours of operation - and its neglected grounds need a facelift. Restrooms, trash, and water service are no longer available here during most of the week. Like many other state parks, Allensworth's future is threatened by a budget and tax system that drains California of the means to sustain parts of our vital cultural heritage.
