Blog archive
March 2025
About Senior Solutions
03/28/2025
Building a Bridge With Journey House, A Home Base for Former Foster Youth
03/28/2025
Come for the Knitting, Stay for the Conversation... and the Cookies
03/28/2025
Creating Safe and Smart Spaces with Home Technology
03/28/2025
Finding Joy in My Role on The Pasadena Village Board
03/28/2025
I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up!
03/28/2025
Managing Anxiety
03/28/2025
Message from Our President: Keeping Pasadena Village Strong Together
03/28/2025
My Favorite Easter Gift
03/28/2025
The Hidden History of Black Women in WWII
03/28/2025
Urinary Tract Infection – Watch Out!
03/28/2025
Volunteer Coordinator and Blade-Runner
03/28/2025
Continuing Commitment to Combating Racism
03/26/2025
Status - March 20, 2025
03/20/2025
Goodbye and Keep Cold by Robert Frost
03/13/2025
What The Living Do by Marie Howe
03/13/2025
Racism is Not Genetic
03/11/2025
Bill Gould, The First
03/07/2025
THIS IS A CHAPTER, NOT MY WHOLE STORY
03/07/2025
Dramatic Flair: Villagers Share their Digital Art
03/03/2025
Empowering Senior LGBTQ+ Caregivers
03/03/2025
A Life Never Anticipated
03/02/2025
Eaton Fire Changes Life
03/02/2025
February 2025
Commemorating Black History Month 2025
02/28/2025
Transportation at the Pasadena Village
02/28/2025
A Look at Proposition 19
02/27/2025
Behind the Scenes: Understanding the Pasadena Village Board and Its Role
02/27/2025
Beyond and Within the Village: The Power of One
02/27/2025
Celebrating Black Voices
02/27/2025
Creatively Supporting Our Village Community
02/27/2025
Decluttering: More Than The Name Implies
02/27/2025
Hidden Gems of Forest Lawn Museum
02/27/2025
LA River Walk
02/27/2025
Message from the President
02/27/2025
Phoenix Rising
02/27/2025
1619 Conversations with West African Art
02/25/2025
The Party Line
02/24/2025
Bluebird by Charles Bukowski
02/17/2025
Dreams by Langston Hughes
02/17/2025
Haiku - Four by Fritzie
02/17/2025
Haikus - Nine by Virginia
02/17/2025
Wind and Fire
02/17/2025
Partnerships Amplify Relief Efforts
02/07/2025
Another Community Giving Back
02/05/2025
Diary of Disaster Response
02/05/2025
Eaton Fire: A Community United in Loss and Recovery
02/05/2025
Healing Powers of Creative Energy
02/05/2025
Living the Mission
02/05/2025
Message from the President: Honoring Black History Month
02/05/2025
Surviving and Thriving: Elder Health Considerations After the Fires
02/05/2025
Treasure Hunting in The Ashes
02/05/2025
Villager's Stories
02/05/2025
A Beginning of Healing
02/03/2025
Hectic Evacuation From Eaton Canyon Fire
02/02/2025
Hurricanes and Fires are Different Monsters
02/02/2025
January 2025
At Dawn by Ed Mervine
01/31/2025
Thank you for Relief Efforts
01/31/2025
Needs as of January 25, 2025
01/24/2025
Eaton Fire Information
01/23/2025
Escape to San Diego
01/19/2025
Finding Courage Amid Tragedy
01/19/2025
Responses of Pasadena Village February 22, 2025
01/18/2025
A Tale of Three Fires
01/14/2025
Glimpses of Early Black History in Pasadena 1850-1
By Blog MasterPosted: 11/21/2021
Dick Myers introduced the speaker for the meeting, Adrian Panton. Mr. Panton is a volunteer at the Pasadena Museum of History. In preparation for a Gallery Exhibit, "Family Stories" he began to research the African American Community in Pasadena. From his research he developed his presentation "Glimpses of Early Black History in Pasadena, 1850-1958" which can be viewed at Glimpses of Early Black History in Pasadena
Mr. Panton began his remarks by reviewing information about California's statehood. California was admitted to the Union in 1850 as a non slave state. Although California did have a relationship to slavery in that the Fugitive Slave Act was implemented as a compromise for entry into the Union.
Pasadena's growth began after the Civil War and the city was incorporated in 1886. It quickly became a winter residence for wealthy families and individuals. African American individuals and families arrived in the 1850s and were involved in business and service.
A brief illustrated overview followed:
Prince Family. Founders of the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1887. The family owned multiple businesses and newspapers.
Seaborn Carr. Wrote the Pasadena Section for the California Eagle newspaper. Founded Scott Methodist Church in 1903.
Carrie McAdoo. Operated McAdoo Grocery beginning in 1909.
William Madison. Operated a saw mill and a rental car business at the turn of the century.
William Lundy. Operated a shoe shine business in the early part of the 20th century.
James Woods. Operated a shoe shine shop until 1928. At which time he completed his certification as a mortician and opened a funeral home. This business merged with another and is today still in operation as Woods-Valentine Mortuary on Fair Oaks Blvd.
McAfee Family. Operated a transfer service that worked with hotel guests upon arrival by train.
Jones Family. Operated a house cleaning service
Francesca Building. 22-26 Dayton Street. Built in 1923 housed many African American businesses
and still stands today.
John Wright. Organized the Pasadena chapter of the NAACP in 1919
Mack Robinson and Jackie Robinson, participants in the 1936 Olympic games. Mack Robinson worked for the City of Pasadena after the games.
Ray Bartlett. Second African American Pasadena Police Officer hired in 1947
Bill Duncan. First African American Pasadena Firefighter hired in 1952
Joan Wilson. Selected Miss Crown City in 1957. When it was discovered that she was African American the City Rose Parade Float was cancelled and she was snubbed by the Mayor.
Mae Reese Johnson. Founded the Scattergood Association which was a youth mentorship program.
Dr. Edna Griffin. First African American doctor in Pasadena in 1933
Carver Hotel. Center of Jazz music and community events in the African American community.
Naomi Bowen. Established the Dayton Street Chamber of Commerce in 1944
A series of questions and remembrances by participants followed. It was noted that in the 1890 census the African American population was 1.5 percent, in 2010 it was 10.7 and in the recent census slightly over 8 percent of the population.
A recording of the presentation can be found in the Events section of the Village website under Presentations. The photo illustrations from the Pasadena Museum of History Collection are archived on the USC Digital Library. And can be viewed by following this link to the presentation, "Glimpses of Early Black History in Pasadena."
The next meeting is December 3rd at 10:00 PST. The scheduled meeting fort the 1619 Project Discussion Group, December 17th, will not be held due to the observance of the holiday season. The next meeting of this group will be held in 2022 on the 1st Friday of the month, January 7th at 10Am PST.
You can watch the video of this presentation at Glimpses of Early Black History in Pasadena.