Exhibit Envoy

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We Are Not Strangers Here: African American Histories in Rural California

Description

Starting during the Gold Rush and continuing through today, Black Californians have been part and parcel of rural areas. In this free-standing banner exhibit, little-known stories of African American farmers, ranchers, and rural residents challenge myths about California history.

A farm hand stands to the right of a horse and in front of a wood building in a sepia-toned photograph.
Farm hand and horse standing next to shed, c. 1908. Courtesy African American Museum & Library at Oakland.
Five African American women stand in a line, facing the camera, in the early 1900s.
Teachers at the Allensworth school, c. 1915 [090-2156]. Courtesy California State Parks, 2020.
In a black-and-white drawing, an African American farmer holds a basket of food while warplanes fly overhead.
“Food Fights for Freedom!!!”, Charles Alston, c. 1942-45. Courtesy National Archives.

While it is widely recognized that many Black people who migrated to California moved into booming cities, African Americans are not strangers to rural California. Rural Black residents opened schools, worked the land, and exercised vigilance about the equal rights of citizens. Over successive migrations in the 19th- and 20th-centuries, generations settled in agricultural and rural areas from as far north as Siskiyou County, to the Central Valley, to the Imperial Valley in the South.

Exhibit Themes:

  • Farmers & Ranchers: Here from the Start
  • Working the Land
  • Independent Settlements
  • Into the Modern Age

We Are Not Strangers Here 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 Researcher from UC San Diego. This project was made possible with support from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the 11th Hour Project at the Schmidt Family Foundation.

Specs

Audience:
General
Rental Fee:
$1,000 + shipping via FedEx
Size:
60 linear ft.
Languages:
English, Spanish via PDF
Security:
Limited
Installation Images:
View Here

Exhibit Components:

  • 7 colorful banners each measuring 5’H x 7’W and installed using free-standing banner stands
  • Cell phone audio tour featuring the voices of scholars and descendants of rural Black Californians
  • Multiple podcasts featuring additional stories, produced by Cal Ag Roots
  • PDF with Spanish translation of the full exhibition
  • Programming suggestions and resource list
  • Exhibition press kit with digital images

Schedule and Availability

April 19, 2020 – June 14, 2020 (Tentative)Tulare County Museum, Visalia
June 21, 2020 – August 16, 2020 (Tentative)Col. Allensworth State Historic Park, Earlimart
August 30, 2020 – October 25, 2020 (Tentative)San Diego Public Library, San Diego
November 15, 2020 – January 10, 2021AVAILABLE
January 24, 2021 – March 21, 2021AVAILABLE
April 4, 2021 – May 30, 2021AVAILABLE
June 13, 2021 – August 8, 2021AVAILABLE
August 22, 2021 – October 17, 2021AVAILABLE
October 31, 2021 – December 26, 2021AVAILABLE
January 9, 2022 – March 6, 2022AVAILABLE
March 20, 2022 – May 15, 2022AVAILABLE
May 29, 2022 – July 24, 2022AVAILABLE
August 7, 2022 – October 2, 2022AVAILABLE
October 16, 2022 – December 11, 2022AVAILABLE
For dates beyond 2022:Contact us!