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SAN BERNARDINO, CA- On the morning of February 15, 2017 parents, students and community members took a journey to Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park. The trip sponsored by the Inland Kwanzaa Group is an annual pilgrimage to discover Black History, and interact with docents dressed in period attire. The township established by Colonel Allen Allensworth and four friends represents the only town in the state of California completely founded, owned and developed in 1908 by an ex-slave. The self-governed town grew rapidly and prospered prior to World War II, with a school house, a huge store for commerce, a church and many beautiful affluent homes for this time. It was truly a great experience and for many of our students it was their first time out of the city, being in farm country with chickens running free.
We had the honor of meeting a direct descendant of Colonel Allensworth, and he shared the importance of preserving the rich history that made this place so great. One of the students commented: “I really had fun, and I learned something I never knew existed.” There were food vendors, music, and arts and crafts activities for the whole family to enjoy. Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park is very unique as it preserves for us the great possibilities of what can be done for future generations. The PAL Charter Academy students were excited to learn the ethnically diverse contributions that have made our country great, and look forward to the opportunity for future trips.
