Allensworth

Allensworth was the first town in California founded and governed by African Americans. It gains its name from Lieutenant Colonel Allen Allensworth, Chaplain for the US Army 24th Infantry Regiment "Buffalo Soldiers."

We interviewed Tekoah Kedara, an Allensworth descendant who described the Buffalo Soldiers' role in the forceful removal of Native Americans from Yosemite Valley. Now, Allensworth descendants like Tekoah are working closely with the Tachi Yokuts and other tribes to recognize indigenous land and understand early settler history.

Our team conducted scans to identify possible burials near Allensworth associated with a forced removal of Yokuts; meanwhile we interviewed Tekoah to learn about how both indigenous people and Black settlers were affected by colonial landscape modification.