BLACK SOIL OUR ROOTS RUN DEEP- A bLACK FARMING HISTORY AND ART EXHIBIT
We are excited to have a host of community partners bringing knowledge, artistic talents, art, and artifacts to this exhibition.
African American agricultural history is a rich legacy marked by the forced labor of enslaved people who brought crucial skills from the motherland; the post-slavery struggle for land ownership amid systemic discrimination; and the groundbreaking innovations of figures like George Washington Carver and Henry Blair. Despite a significant decline in Black farm ownership due to discriminatory lending and other barriers, this history continues to be shaped by cooperative movements and a deep connection to the land. This exhibition will honor the legacy of African Americans in Agriculture on both a broad scope and a local perspective.
Community partners include:
Sacramento History Museum- Executive Director, Delta Mello, Heather Reynolds, Museum Exhibits Manager:
The Sacramento History Museum is dedicated to telling the story of Sacramento’s people and place. From the home to its first people, to the cultures of its current population, you will discover the impacts of California’s Gold Rush – the massive migration of people from all over the world to the Sacramento region in search of opportunity, prosperity, and inspiration. The result is a region with richly diverse communities and cultures; an agriculture and transportation hub; and the capital of the State of California, the 5th largest economy in the world.
Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum- Shonna R. McDaniels, executive director, Project Manager, and Artist in Sacramento. Our mission is to open minds and change lives through the exploration and celebration of African American history, experiences, and culture through art education and outreach.
Shonna McDaniels, a visual artist and community activist, envisioned an institution to preserve Black history and celebrate the accomplishments of African American people and their legacy. As a result, the previous name of Sojourner Truth Multicultural Art Museum changed to Sojourner Truth African American Museum. We offer resources to document, preserve, and educate the public on the history, life, and culture of African AmericansClarence George III, Ph.D., Assistant Professor/Director of the Cooper Woodson College Enhancement Program, Pan African Studies Program, Department of Ethnic Studies
“If you can control a man's thinking, you do not have to worry about his actions. When you determine what a man shall think, you do not have to concern yourself about what he will do. If you make a man feel that he is inferior, you do not have to compel him to accept an inferior status, for he will seek it himself. If you make a man think that he is justly an outcast, you do not have to order him to the back door. He will go without being told, and if there is no back door, his very nature will demand one.”
― Carter G. Woodson, The Miseducation of the Negro (1933)
Dr. Tanisha Jackson, Assistant Professor in African American Studies and Director of the Community Folk Art Center at Syracuse University.
CSUS Sankofa Research Team, Sacramento State University (Sankofa Group),
California State University, Sacramento, Internship & Student Development Manager, Graduate Research Lead, Sankofa Museum Project.
CSUS IMPACT Fellow, Ethnic Studies & Psychology Researcher
Dr. Miller, the new Chair of the Art History Department at Sacramento State University
Professor Alana Infinity
Professor Sade Turnipseed -Cassie Sade Turnipseed, MS, MBA, PhD
Dr. C. Sade Turnipseed Launches “Truth-Telling Educational Primer Series”
Benjamin Thornton Montgomery: The King of the Cotton Kingdom
Indianola, MS – Public historian, professor, and cultural curator Dr. C. Sade Turnipseed proudly announces the launch of the Truth-Telling Educational Series — a new, groundbreaking primer series designed to enrich classrooms, inspire community dialogue, and deepen understanding of overlooked chapters in American history. The series debuts with its first volume, Benjamin Thornton Montgomery: The King of the Cotton Kingdom, produced through a dynamic collaboration between Khafre,Inc, and Red Clay Productions.
Yisrael Farm - Judith and Chanowk run Yisrael Farms, which started as a half-acre urban farm nestled in the heart of Sacramento and has now grown to multiple locations. Their farm is a sustainable community resource, a story of love, perseverance, and reverence for the earth’s rhythms.
Their neighborhood is a historically working-class area now battling food apartheid, poverty, and gentrification. It’s a familiar story for communities of color. The Yisraels decided to flip the narrative. In ten years, these city slickers transformed their yard into a half-acre farm, fed hundreds of people, taught thousands more, and found that the answers are in the soil.
Featured Artists Installation
Artist Curtis Wayne Riley Jr https://www.facebook.com/broboze, curator of Art Education.
Artist Helen Plenert (Cotton and Carver wood installations) Artist's Statement:
Helen has been creating since she was a child and got her formal art education locally at ARC and CSUS. Since the 80s, she has worked in San Francisco theaters doing stage design and taught in local Sacramento schools. Helen also spent 10 years as the art and program director of a local Women's Art group before retiring in 2016. Helen is now dedicated to making her own art. Using watercolors and acrylics, Helen creates uplifting images for the world.
Gallery 157 co-owners Milton Bowens and Daphne Burgess
MILTON BOWENS, born and raised in Oakland, CA, is the 5th son and 10th child of his family, which makes for his unique artistic signature, Milton 510. His work, which takes inspiration from History and Culture, brings to the foreground issues of perseverance, pride, perspective, and affect.
Milton 510’s “Afro Classical” collection, an anthology of paintings depicting the cultural importance of Jazz, Art, and Poetry during the Harlem Renaissance Era, was used as part of a course study on “The Harlem Renaissance “ at the African Studies and Research Center at Cornell University.
I was born and raised in Sacramento, CA. For the past twenty-five years, I’ve blended my passion for art with my desire for community building. My background as an arts educator allowed me to teach art through non-profit service organizations, libraries, community centers, and schools. I believe that art plays an integral role in the development of both people and communities by fostering relationships that transform spaces, promote advocacy, and encourage cross-sector partnerships. As the former Community Engagement Coordinator for Crocker Art Museum, I focused on participatory experiences that brought the museum and communities together in unique ways.
Since moving to Alabama in 2019 and opening Gallery 157 in 2020, my goal has been to explore my own artistic development while continuing to support equitable access to art and art-making in rural communities through free resources that support creativity. In addition to managing the studio, I am currently a consultant for the Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum to support youth programming and placemaking through the arts. I am committed to working on projects that increase access to experiences that encourage interaction and learning.
Featured Shovel Installation Artists
"Act as if what you do makes a difference, it does" ~ William James