Black History in the Sacramento Valley

Join us for a presentation on Black History in the Sacramento Valley from 1863 to 1913. The Black community arrived in Chico in 1863, and under the leadership of Peter Powers and Peter Jackson, created a thriving community that funded small businesses, set up polling locations for Black residents, and established community centers for all of Butte County. In spite of the discrimination and harassment they faced, their work shaped the founding of Chico, and their legacy lives on to this day.

Their stories give us a look at how the Black community impacted early lives and economic development in Chico, California, and how that legacy continued into the 20th century.

Our guest speaker, Gabrielle Culbertson, is a cultural anthropologist, whose work is focused on decolonizing and curating local museums to reflect diverse community history. Their research and writing is focused on Black History in the United States and the importance of community and religion on African American movements of resistance. Their recent research has focused on recording and collecting African American experiences in the Sacramento Valley during the late 19th and 20th century.