"Revitalizing America's Historic All-Black Towns" Series

Final episode premieres April 24, 2023, focuses on reparations

WASHINGTON, April 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 400 Years of African American History Commission (400YAAHC), a 15-member federally appointed commission established to coordinate the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in the English colonies on August 20, 1619, announced today the release of its fourth and final installment of its "Revitalizing America's Historic All-Black Towns" series that looks at this rich history and explores ways to protect, preserve and promote what remains. The final episode will premiere on Monday, April 24, 2023, at 7pm on the Commission's website www.400YAAHC.gov and on its dedicated streaming television channel on SMOGO television. The program focuses on reparations.

"After the Civil War, African Americans created dozens of all-Black towns as an escape from entrenched racism with available land for economic exploitation and an opportunity to demonstrate Black excellence," said Hannibal B. Johnson, a 400YAAHC Commissioner and series creator. "However, only a fraction of these towns exists today, and those that do struggle to remain relevant. As cities and states across the country propose and discuss reparations, we must look at how to repair the damage from the historical racial trauma that caused Black people to need to create these towns in the first place and its impact on generations of Black families."

The upcoming episode features Kevin Matthews, Oklahoma State Senator; N.Y. Nathiri, executive director of The Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community, Inc., and Ahmad Ward, executive director of the Mitchelville Preservation Project.

The series finale builds on previous episodes which offered a robust, substantive and thoughtful look of how America's all-Black towns were created, who led the movement to build them, and how remaining towns can leverage their history collectively to market themselves and create economic opportunities.

"We'd like to thank all of our experts across the country who have helped bring this critical programming to life, sharing their expertise and perspectives on the past, present and future of Black people in America," said Addie L. Richburg, executive director of the 400 Years of African American History Commission. "As the Commission continues to recognize and highlight the resilience of African Americans, we must also acknowledge the painful impact of slavery, racial discrimination and racism on the U.S."

To learn more, visit  https://www.400yaahc.gov.

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SOURCE 400 Years of African American History Commission