|
Dear Friends,
I would like to introduce you to the Friends of Allensworth,
a volunteer association dedicated to increasing the awareness
of the historical contributions that African Americans have
made towards the development of the State and Nation. We are
organized as a non-profit 501(c) 3 corporation. The town of
Allensworth is very unique in that it is the only California
town to be founded, financed and governed by African Americans.
Allensworth is a town located 75 miles south of Fresno and
38 miles north of Bakersfield.
The town of Allensworth is now preserved
as Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park of the State of California
Park System. Efforts to restore the town's appearance are underway
to recreate a time when Black pioneers, a mighty people of courage
and vision, first settled the town of Allensworth. Unfortunately
financial resources have been scarce and desperately necessary
to preserving this worthy historical site.
As you are aware, the political climate
is rapidly changing and a different attitude toward diversity
has developed. It is often the popular opinion that minority
spells dependency. This is an inaccurate portrayal. Minority
interest has been shifted to a much lower priority in the
political arena. Further, there has been a manor reversal
of our moral sense as a nation that every citizen brings a
positive contribution to society. The difference is the emphasis
placed on that contribution. We must define a process that
more accurately reflects these issues.
Reducing affirmative action in our institutions
should strengthen our resolve to an affirmative solution.
This letter is addressed to you as a major player for helping
to shape these changes in a positive way. We must project
the positive attributes of the majority of African American
that have made major sacrifices for the furtherance of this
country on the global sense. Major advances in every achievement
for this nation have a historical record of contributions
by minorities too long omitted. It will require in depth research
to get this data. Reading is a fundamental process to acquire
it.
We have video tapes, pictures, storyboards,
presentations and tours to further enhance your knowledge
of this valuable information. Opportunities to show your support
for California's only Historical Park, a living history lesson
that recognizes the contributions made by Black pioneers to
development of California include annual membership as an
Ambassador for the Allensworth State Historic Park.
We hope you can take sometime to learn
of the rich history of Allensworth in the following
pages. We encourage you to share this history with your
friends, family and colleagues. We hope you will find
it useful and thank you for your interest in preserving
this part of history.
|
