William Alexander Leidesdorff, Jr. 2010 Global Celebration

Celebration honoring the African Founding Father of California
Leidesdorff Day 200 Year Celebration
by Michael Harris


The Leidesdorff Project is developing specific plans to firmly establish an international day of celebration, Leidesdorff Day 2010.

Leidesdorff Day 2004 was showcased throughout Northern California and featured in the City of San Francisco. We now move to a global format and seek to a broader understanding of the contributions of men and women of African ancestry to the development of our State of California.

The Island of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Island is our next destination, the birthplace and keeper of far too many secrets about the Honorable William Alexander Leidesdorff, Jr.

Our goal is to identify one million people worldwide to join our “Ambassador’s Club” and volunteers to help us celebrate Leidesdorff Day, 2010.

William Alexander Leidesdorff Jr. (1810 – 1848) was an African American pioneer of African and Danish ancestry. He was a successful maritime captain and merchant trading throughout our Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Sea of Cortez during the ‘Age of Sail.’

Leidesdorff was instrumental in California becoming our 31st State, serving as U.S. Vice Consul in Mexican California, first African American Diplomat in U.S. History.

Leidesdorff served as President of the first Public School Board in California History and he built and opened the first public school in California, Portsmouth Square, San Francisco.

It is our goal to share his legacy in each and every public institution of education in California and throughout the known world.

Leidesdorff owned the finest urban garden in early San Francisco and operated a 35,000 acre Leidesdorff Ranch in Sacramento County. He was the catalyst for California’s Agricultural Export Industry building the Port of San Francisco and sailing the only steam vessel in California prior to the Gold Rush. His steam ship adorns the California State Seal

Michael Harris, Founder and President, Leidesdorff Project Ambassadors Club, will lead the global promotion of our campaign initiative “Black Agriculture, the Foundation of Culture”

Our project would like to organize in New York, NY, Baltimore, MD, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, CA, San Francisco, CA, Sacramento, CA, San Diego, CA, Atlanta, GA, Miami, FL, Raleigh, NC, Norfolk, VI, New Orleans, LA, St. Croix, VI, Sitka, AK, Boston, MA, Honolulu, HI, Houston, TX, Philadelphia, PA, Seattle, WA, and the international cities of Moscow, Mexico City, Havana, Panama City, and Copenhagen.

Join us, organize with us and recruit others to join our campaign.

For more information contact

Michael Harris (916) 220-5320 or email us at LeidesdorffProject [at] yahoo.com