SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento city officials are reaching out to the public to tell their family history and stories for Black History Month.
The “African American Experience Project” is collecting oral histories, documents and pictures to capture and share Black history in Sacramento. The project organizers are hosting an event Friday to give a chance for the public to share their experiences and stories.
“It seemed important to us to find a way to educate the public, to show the Black community what its accomplishments were, the struggles, how it has overcome adversity, success stories and also to educate the broader public about who the Black community is,” said Carson Anderson, co-director of the project.
Researchers found many surprises along the way. Anderson says some are really great about the number of celebrities from athletes to musicians have come from Sacramento.
Others are a little more grave as they uncovered injustices from decades ago.
“Black people couldn't testify in court. If a white person robbed you in the streets, you couldn't go to court to defend yourself,” said Anderson.
Another eyeopener to researchers like Anderson was about the legal segregation in California and how the state constitution made no provision to educate children of color.
Anderson hopes this project can build a more informed future by looking through the eyes of history.
“[I] hope that we might kind of change the narrative, this sort of notion that ordinary people have about who Black folks are and their story,” he said.
Project organizers will be at the Oak Park Community Center in Sacramento at 9:30 a.m., Friday.
Anyone is able to record an oral history of their family at the event or bring their own recording of an interview of a family member or a recording of a family story they want to share.
Organizers say a phone recording works for the project and they will also take copies of family photos or newspaper clippings.
The project is expected to be completed this summer.
