Exploring California Pan African Heritage in Elk Grove, California

The Elk Grove Historical Society is helping celebrate 2020 Black History Month. Together, with many other stakeholders, we will build a more authentic inclusive story of Early California.

This special 2020 Black History Month takes a deeper dive looking at the 250th Anniversary of Monterey, CA that was established as the Capital of Alta California. The African Latino population remains an open secret.

Elk Grove Historical Society and the inaugural 2019 Early California Days sparked renewed interest in how both free and enslaved people of Pan African Heritage were major contributors throughout historic Alta California's, Spanish period, Mexican period on the way to U.S. Statehood in 1850.

Join us as we share our new research, documentation, preservation and interpretation of 1840-1880.

Today's City of Elk Grove, at Historic Murphy's Coral, opened up the way during the Bear Flag Revolt. Several people of Pan African Ancestry played profound leading role in the acquisition of California in to the United States of America.

Come and discover how early pioneers of Pan African ancestry, "hidden figures" yet to be fully valued or appreciated will soon become apart of our California Public Education System.

We are sharing a holistic approach to Early California History that reflects recognition of primary source documentation, as a positive new way forward for a more inclusive and accurate presentation of California History, that includes people of African Ancestry.