Little Liberia, Baja California, 1919

Initiated in the early 20th century by Los Angeles attorney Hugh Macbeth and the Lower California Mexican Land and Development Company, the Baja California settlement known as “Little Liberia” was envisioned as a racially-exclusive community through which African Americans would have the opportunity for vocational, … Read MoreLittle Liberia, Baja California, 1919

Juan Francisco Reyes Reyes (ca. 1749-ca. 1800)

California’s 18th Century history is embedded with that of settlers from many racial and cultural groups. Terms such as mestizos, mulattos, españoles, lobos, and coyotes indicated a variety of Indian, Spanish, and Mexican, white and black families who migrated into the area in the 18th … Read MoreJuan Francisco Reyes Reyes (ca. 1749-ca. 1800)

Junius George Groves (1859-1925)

Junius G. Groves, a successful, self-educated farmer, landowner, and entrepreneur, became one of the most prosperous African American men in the early twentieth century. He was born enslaved on April 12, 1859 in Green County, Kentucky.  His parents were Martin Groves and Mary Anderson Groves. … Read MoreJunius George Groves (1859-1925)

The Underground Railroad (1820-1861)

The Underground Railroad was established to aid enslaved people in their escape to freedom.  The railroad was comprised of dozens of secret routes and safe houses originating in the slaveholding states and extending all the way to the Canadian border, the only area where fugitives … Read MoreThe Underground Railroad (1820-1861)