African American Organization and Resistance in Sacramento, 1850-1970

African American Resistance and Organization in Sacramento History

Sacramento’s African American community faced many crises since the city’s founding. Approximately every fifty years, these crises culminated into points of decision where this community took action to defend their rights. Using case studies from the 1850s-60s, 1910s-20s, and 1950s-60s, we will examine the actions taken by the African American community to organize for political power and community defense. The class will compare and contrast these approaches with contemporary social issues, explore questions of historical agency and cultural hegemony, and introduce the students to important figures and organizations in Sacramento’s African American history.

William Burg is the author of seven books and approximately one hundred articles about Sacramento history, architecture, culture, and politics. His latest book, Wicked Sacramento, includes some of the stories that will be discussed in this presentation, along with materials from Sacramento’s K Street and Sacramento Renaissance.

This presentation was originally given via Zoom to Sacramento’s YDSA chapter in April 2022.

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