Resilience in North America:

In honor of Black History Month and the theme of resilience, we would like to share a short list of black-owned communities and towns in Northern America that thrived during harsher times. This is not a post to make you feel one way or the other, but rather to shed light on the rich history of these communities. Here are a few examples:

Allensworth, California (Founded 1908 by Colonel Allen Allensworth):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allensworth,_California

Nicodemus, Kansas (Founded 1877 by Benjamin "Pap" Singleton):

https://www.nps.gov/places/nicodemus-kansas.htm

Eatonville, Florida (Founded 1887 by Major Benjamin "Major" Lee Stearns):

https://www.visitflorida.com/travel-ideas/articles/eatonville-americas-oldest-incorporated-black-community/

DeWitty, Nebraska (Founded 1908 by a group of Black homesteaders):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeWitty,_Nebraska

Weeksville, Brooklyn, New York (1838-1915 Established as a free Black settlement):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weeksville,_Brooklyn

Greenwood (Tulsa), Oklahoma (Established 1906 Nicknamed "Black Wall Street"):

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/black-wall-streets-second-destruction-180977871/

Freedmen's Town, Houston, Texas (Established 1865 Founded by formerly enslaved people after the Civil War):

https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/freedmens-town-houston-texas-1865/

Sweet Auburn, Atlanta, Georgia (Established 1867):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_Auburn

Bronzeville, Chicago, Illinois (Established 1910s):

https://www.choosechicago.com/neighborhoods/bronzeville/

Seneca Village, New York City (Established 1820s - 1850s eventually destroyed to make way for Central Park.)

https://www.nps.gov/articles/seneca-village-new-york-city.htm

Mound Bayou, Mississippi (Founded 1887 Established by Isaiah Montgomery):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mound_Bayou,_Mississippi

Jackson Ward, Richmond, Virginia (Established 1865):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_Ward

Soul City, North Carolina (Founded 1969?Established by Floyd McKissick):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_City,_North_Carolina

Hayti District, Durham, North Carolina (Established 1865):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayti,_Durham,_North_Carolina

Langston, Oklahoma (Founded 1890 Founded by John Langston):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langston,_Oklahoma

Little Burgundy, Montreal, Quebec (Established 1830s):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Burgundy

Blackdom, New Mexico (Founded 1908 Founded by Dr. Matthew S. Steward):

https://www.nps.gov/places/blackdom-new-mexico.htm

Brooklyn, Illinois (Founded 1830s Established by free Black families):?

https://www.landmarks.org/preservation-programs/most-endangered-historic-places-in-illinois/brooklyn-illinois-2023-most-endangered-historic-places-in-illinois/

Rosewood, Florida (Established 1895):

https://news.wgcu.org/podcast/gulf-coast-life/2023-01-09/the-rosewood-massacre-an-important-story-with-a-history-of-being-forgotten

Whitesboro, New Jersey (Founded 1902 Founded by W.C. Whiteside):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitesboro-Burleigh,_New_Jersey

Alberta, Canada (Founded 1910s):

https://www.canadavisa.com/about-alberta.html

Gullah Geechee Corridor, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida (Established 17th - 18th centuries):

https://coastalreview.org/2021/07/park-service-to-support-gullah-geechee-corridor-project/

These are just a few examples of the many black-owned communities that have played a significant role in American history. Let's take this opportunity to celebrate and honor their resilience. #BlackHistoryMonth #Resilience

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