[News] Allensworth book: amazing history, a wonderful book and an October event

[Anti-Imperialist News]

From: Scott Braley <scottb at igc.org>

Dear Friends:

As some of you know, Mickey Ellinger and I have been working the last 
two years with Mrs. Alice Royal of Visalia to produce a book about 
the town of Allensworth.  The book is now published, is beautiful, 
and available!

Allensworth, 50 miles northwest of Bakersfield, was founded in 1908, 
and was the only town in California founded, funded, and governed by 
African Americans.  Mrs. Royal was born in Allensworth in her 
grandparents' home in 1923, and has worked tirelessly to bring the 
history of Allensworth to public attention.

In 1976, 240 acres of the old Allensworth downtown were declared a 
State Historic Park, and since then over 20 buildings have been 
rebuilt and furnished.

At the end of the 19th century, one of the forms of struggle for 
Black liberation was to build independent towns.   Between 1877 and 
1900, over 200,000 Blacks left the South to found more than a hundred 
autonomous communities.  Allensworth was one of those towns, named 
for its founder, Allen Allensworth, whose own life was a journey from 
being enslaved to chaplain of the U.S. Army's (Black) 24th Infantry 
Regiment, retiring as a Lt. Colonel.

The town could have changed US history if its vision had been 
realized: African Americans managing their own affairs, farming, 
running independent businesses, providing housing for retired and 
active duty military people, shipping from the railroad depot at the 
edge of town, and building a trade college, a Tuskegee of the West.

But within a few years the development company reneged on its 
agreement to provide water, the railroad station moved six miles 
north, and proposals to the State legislature to build the trade 
school were defeated.   In 1914, Col. Allensworth was killed by two 
motorcyclists, in what was probably a racial attack.

The town held on for another decade, but the depression drove most of 
its residents into the cities.   By the 1960's downtown Allensworth 
was abandoned or destroyed, and the rest of the town is now home to 
about a hundred families, mostly Latino farm laborers.

The book, Allensworth, the Freedom Colony; an African American 
Township in California, by Mrs. Alice Royal with Scott Braley and 
Mickey Ellinger, tells the story of the town and its citizens - its 
conception, it's pioneers, the building of the park, the town of 
Allensworth today.  Guided by Mrs. Royal, we did dozens of new 
interviews with children of the pioneers, and found many old 
interviews and photos.   Mickey did the writing, and Scott has more 
than 80 full color photos in the book.  There are dozens of historic 
photos from many personal archives.

The book presents a little-known chapter of African American history. 
Response has been excellent, and we think it should go into every 
bookstore and school library in California.  Heyday Books, the 
publisher, has priced it at $17.95, inexpensive for a full color 
book.   You can order it from 
<http://www.heydaybooks.com>www.heydaybooks.com, although getting it 
from Amazon or Powell's moves it up in the ratings.   Asking for it 
at your local bookstore is better yet.

Let us know what you think of it.   And, we hope you can help us get 
the book into libraries and curriculums.   If you are a parent, 
teacher, or have friends who work in schools or libraries, please 
show the book to them, and give us their contact info so we can send 
them an announcement.


Scott Braley and Mickey Ellinger

PS- the town's centennial blow-out will be Saturday, October 
11th,.    All the buildings will be open, Mrs. Royal will be signing 
books, and we hope to see you there. If you are interested in an 
inexpensive one-day bus or train excursion, let us know and we can 
give you the information.



Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

415 863-9977

www.Freedomarchives.org  
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