Allensworth Reawakens on Juneteenth as Californians Honor Black Founders

ALLENSWORTH, Calif. — Celebrating Juneteenth in California's historic Allensworth offers a rare experience, particularly in this central valley town located 246 miles south of Sacramento in Tulare County. On Saturday, over 500 attendees gathered at Col. Allensworth State Park, the site of one of California's earliest Black communities, which flourished in the 1920s. Founded in 1908 by Allen Allensworth, a former slave and esteemed Army chaplain of the Buffalo Soldiers, the town aimed to replicate a “Black Wall Street” akin to Tulsa’s prosperous Greenwood District, tragically destroyed in a racist onslaught in 1921. Although Allensworth thrived, with over 300 Black families establishing one of the state’s first Black school districts, it succumbed to water scarcity in the 1930s. Enthusiastic participants traveled from across California, many boarding a train at Oakland’s Amtrak station. Upon arrival, shuttle buses transported senior guests, while others engaged in festivities, capturing memories amid the park’s landmarks. Line dancing soon enlivened the atmosphere.