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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

Glimpses of Early Black History in Pasadena 1850-1

By Blog Master
Posted: 11/21/2021
Tags:
Notes by Sharon Jarrett

  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.




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