UC Davis Students Illuminate the Untold Story of Woodland's Hidden Black Area

Sareena Crawford, a history doctoral student at the University of California, Davis, was collaborating on a research project when she discovered narratives of Black women in Yolo County. Notably, she learned about Mary Ann Johnson (née Winrow), among the first Black women in the region, who was forcibly brought from Missouri with only two of her six children. Crawford is expanding her research for her doctoral thesis, focusing on Black women who established “kin groups” across Northern California. Winrow and her sons were pivotal to Woodland’s kin network. “I express deep gratitude to the Woodland Black community for trusting me to illuminate these histories,” Crawford remarked. Alongside five peers, Crawford’s work revealed enough material to craft educational lesson plans, a digital presentation, and an exhibit showcasing a historically rich African American settlement in Woodland. Under Professor Cecilia Tsu's guidance, students explored various ethnic communities to share Yolo County's diverse historical narratives with K-12 educators, fostering a deeper understanding of local history.