African American Historical & Cultural Museum of San Joaquin Valley

Join us on April 15th as we partner with for a Capacity Building workshop specialized for artists! Register at the link in our bio. This event is free to artists and we only have 40 spots available. Register today!

We are excited to partner with for the first set of their Sunset Grants! Investments like this can bolster leadership and build capacity infrastructure for California’s Central Valley! Together, we are forging equity and sustainability in our amazing communities in the Central Valley.

Thank you for the recognition and support of our institution!!!

Today marks the first day of Ramadan, and we want to take a moment to honor the beauty and power of Muslim prayer during this sacred time.

Many companies provide space for their Muslim employees to pray, but how often do we take the time to understand the spiritual significance of these practices?

Many African American icons, from Malcolm X to Muhammad Ali, found strength, solace, and purpose in their Muslim faith and prayer. Through a series of images and explanations, we want to celebrate the hidden beauty of Muslim prayer during Ramadan in African American history.

Please note that we only highlighted a few positions - there are many other beautiful aspects of Muslim prayer that we hope to explore in the future.

What beautiful aspects of the Muslim prayer inspire you the most? We'd love to hear from you in the comments!

Let's come together to honor and celebrate the spiritual practices of our diverse communities!

With gratitude, I want to thank Malek Bendelhoum and James H. Faghmous, Ph.D. for guiding me in understanding the significance of Islamic prayer.

Yesterday we were blessed with the presence of Jackie Nelson, Frank Johnson, Jerry Johnson, & Cleofus Johnson!

Hearing the history behind the pictures was a blessing! Learning about the journey to founding the Grapevine magazine in 1969 was incredible. Our people have a rich history here in the valley and have endured a great deal for the younger generations to live with endless possibilities in their hearts and minds!

Thank you to those who have gone before us and blazed the trail that we walk today! We honor you!

We are excited to work with for a monumental exhibit on Black Maternal Health!

From :

We are THRILLED to invite you to the first EVER BLACK Maternal Health Historical and Art Exhibition!!!

The exhibit will be at the African American Historical &
Cultural Museum ALL OF APRIL 2023 and will feature art, historic photographs and film screenings, medical illustrations of Black women and babies and more!

Learn more about the exhibit and RSVP to our Art Hop kickoff on April 6th at Blackwpc.org/aamuseum23

SEE YOU THERE!!!

Yesterday we had the opportunity to give a private tour of to and Deputy Mayor Matthew Grundy.

We spoke on the strategic planning of our institution and remembered our past as we walked through the downstairs gallery and our upstairs permanent collection of photographs collected by our founder, Jack Kelley, and founding board members.

It is a beautiful day for us here at AAHCM but we will always look to our past for inspiration, direction, and hope! Thank you, Mayor Dyer and Deputy Mayor Matthew Grundy, for taking the time out to visit us! Much love and respect! 💯

A really big THANK YOU to Jon Dohlin the CEO of . Jon is one of our first community volunteers to help us with our Spring Cleaning!

If you or your organization would like to volunteer some time to make our home, a great home for the community, visit the link below and sign up today!


https://www.aahcmsjv.com/service-page/spring-cleaning-at-aahcm?utm_campaign=cf41d70c-0095-4887-86a0-5e9c64dd7c71&utm_source=so&utm_medium=mail&cid=aa25c93e-927f-4d66-a70f-4a1239708273

Congratulations to our intern turned instructor and program developer for receiving an award from the Fresno State chapter of the NAACP! Kaliyah deserves every bit of the recognition she receives!

Thank you, Kaliyah, for serving our community with love and dedication!

🎊THE DAY HAS FINALLY COME ! 🎊
We will be beginning our first Saturday school of March 2023 today at 10:00am-12:00pm.
Please register through the link below if you already have not or you can come in and register today before our session begins between 9:30-10:00am.

The recommended ages is 6-12 but all are welcomed ! If you do bring children under 6 years olds, guardians are expected to stay with their child/children until the end of class. 🎨

Though we do love when parents stay and engage in Saturday school , “Tower Blendz” is a nearby Açai shop that is a great place to unwind for a couple of hours while your children are taking the course 🤩.

We hope to see you soon ! 😉

African American Historical & Cultural Museum of the San Joaquin Valley SATURDAY SCHOOL SATURDAY SCHOOL Dates & Times “Welcome Day” October 15th 10am - Noon Starting in November Every FIRST & THIRD Saturdays 10am - Noon

🥳🚨TOMORROW IS THE BIG DAY !!!!🥳🚨 We will be starting our first Saturday school of March 2023, with our kick off theme being based on “Kente Cloth”. Click the link below to register or register in person March 4th 2023 before our session starts at 10:00am.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Fe3-8oXyEdtBTWvtw2OudKfSuetoEPl33Z9AxYWmLQ4/viewform?edit_requested=true

Education Matters: Learning history through the arts FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE) – The African American Historical and Cultural Museum is a place where history literally hangs on its walls. It is providing a space where students can learn about the C…

🎨Have you heard about our free art and history courses recommended for ages 6-12? Well now you have ! 🎨
There are 2 days left until our first Saturday school of March 2023 begins and guess what !? You still have time to register ! Click the link below or register in person March 4th 2023 before our session starts at 10:00am.

African American Historical & Cultural Museum of the San Joaquin Valley SATURDAY SCHOOL SATURDAY SCHOOL Dates & Times “Welcome Day” October 15th 10am - Noon Starting in November Every FIRST & THIRD Saturdays 10am - Noon

Congratulations to our 2023 Wall of Honor Inductees: Elder Harry Young Miller (posthumously), Maxie Parks, and Dr. Arrie Smith.

This is the 25th year of our partnership with the State Center Community College District.

We had a great evening of celebration and we look forward to placing the new inductees on our Wall of Honor in the upstairs gallery or our museum.

This was a great way to close out Black History Month but the work continues far past February 28th!

‼️ 3 days until our first Saturday school of March 2023 starts‼️ We are so excited to share art 🧑🏾‍🎨👨🏿‍🎨and history with the children of the community ! There is still time to register! Click the link below or register in person March 4th 2023 before our session starts at 10:00am.

African American Historical & Cultural Museum of the San Joaquin Valley SATURDAY SCHOOL SATURDAY SCHOOL Dates & Times “Welcome Day” October 15th 10am - Noon Starting in November Every FIRST & THIRD Saturdays 10am - Noon

Congratulations to NeFesha Yisra’el! She is the new executive director of . The museum’s Black History Month Celebration event sold out with nearly 500 attendees last Friday. emceed. Check out the museum during Art Hop this Thursday from 5-8PM.

4 Days until our first art class of March 2023 starts ! It only happens twice a month so you do not want your kiddos to miss out on this free art experience that is open to the public !

Click the link below to register or register in person on the day of before our next session begins March 4th,2023 at 10:00am

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Fe3-8oXyEdtBTWvtw2OudKfSuetoEPl33Z9AxYWmLQ4/viewform?edit_requested=true

5 days until this weeks Saturday school !
The theme of this weeks art/history course is
“Kente Cloth” 🧵

Click the link to register now or you can register in person at the African American Historical and Cultural Museum !

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Fe3-8oXyEdtBTWvtw2OudKfSuetoEPl33Z9AxYWmLQ4/viewform?edit_requested=true

Education Matters: Learning history through the arts FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE) – The African American Historical and Cultural Museum is a place where history literally hangs on its walls. It is providing a space where students can learn about the C…

Come through tonight to support the Arts and Culture of our city! This impacts us as a whole, us artists and culture bearers.

There is strength in numbers so if you’re free, please come support the arts and culture of our city tonight at 5:30pm!

We had a great time today celebrating Black History Month with our Fresno community! We brought out the horses for this one! Here are 5 fun Black Cowboy facts:

1. Historians have estimated that roughly 25% of cowboys in the American West were African American.

2. Even the name “cowboy” itself is owed directly to Black wranglers. White cowboys were initially referred to as “cowhands.” In contrast, “cowboy” was used as a pejorative term for Black riders. Its use was a carry-over from slavery and the southern plantation era, where “boy” was used to refer to a Black male regardless of age.

3. Black cowboys were usually given the wildest, most unruly horses – which they had to train in order to ride them.

4. Ranchers hired on the newly-freed Black cowboys, whose cattle handling skills and strong work ethic quickly earned them the respect of their White counterparts.

5. Bill Pickett (the namesake of the all black rodeo: The Bill Pickett Rodeo) born in 1870 in Texas, created “bulldogging,” a move in which he rode alongside a steer, jumped onto its shoulders and brought the steer down by digging his feet into the ground. The modern day version of the move is called steer wrestling and remains one the most intriguing exhibitions throughout rodeo history.



Btw, did you get your limited time t-shirt designed by 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾💯 Visit https://www.aahcmsjv.com/trailblazers2023 to purchase yours today!

Shout out to our Shining Star Award Honoree, Ryan McClarty!
At the age of 24 Ryan McClarty started one of the most known Christian hip-hop record labels in central California (Christ Like Records) opening for acts such as Yolanda Ad😆😆Fred Hammond, James fortune, West Morgan, No malice, Bizzle, Bryan Trejo, Social Club and many more. Throughout the years Ryan McClarty also known as KAY0 has been heavily involved in the community of Fresno CA,

particularly in his work with the Fresno Police Department (FPD). He has used his music, ministry, and cultural impact to build a positive relationship with Fresno PD, creating reform, building awareness, and positive relationship between the ethnic communities and the Police Department.

After completing seminary at Angelo's Biblical Institute, Ryan served at a group home as a youth life coach for KYJO Enterprises. Ryan then became a youth mentor for the Hand in Hand organization mentoring youth in Fresno Unified School District. During that time Ryan was given the honor of serving on the panel for the PBS special Black America MLK with former Fresno Chief of Police Jerry Dyer (now Mayor of Fresno) and California Chapter President of BWOPA (Black Woman for Political Action) Dezzie Woods Jones.

Over the years Ryan has received many awards including two consecutive awards in 2017 and 2018 by the Bringing Broken Neighborhoods Back to Life organization and the Fresno Police Department for being one of the youngest and the most dedicated persons advocating for community policing and a healthy relationship between the police department and the South West district and community.

This Sunday! Community, Joy, and Celebration!

A very big thank you to the city of Clovis for recognizing our museum and the work started over 30 years ago to share the rich history of African American life here in the Central Valley of California!

This day was definitely one for the books! The work must continue whether we receive recognition or proclamations but to be seen for the work that you do is icing on top of the cake. So, today and every day, we walk in gratitude and give thanks for the support of our community as we continue down this beautiful path!

Thank you 🙏🏾

Shout out to our Jesse McDonald Jr. Award honoree, Rodney Murphy!

Rodney Murphy is a Fresno native from the golden Westside of the city.
Mr. Murphy is employed as a full-time Equal Opportunity Programs & Services (EOPS) counselor at Fresno City College and is also an adjunct professor at Fresno State. Additionally, he is registered as a Licensed Practicing Clinical Counselor Associate (LPCCA) in the State of California.

He is currently the President of “A Little Love”, a nonprofit organization in Fresno. He has served on several other boards and committees, most noticeably the Take a Stand Committee and Fresno City College’s African American Faculty and Staff Association. From 2018-2020 he was an active member of Mayor Lee Brand’s Community Policing Safety Advisory Board where he advocated for police reform in West Fresno.

Mr. Murphy’s personal experiences, attributes, and educational journey have provided him with the critical thinking skills needed to impact any individual or organization in a positive manner. To this end, he is on a mission to serve his purpose as determined by God with honor and integrity. He has vowed to always give his entire unsurpassed best effort in hope of making the community he loves a better place for all residents to live and prosper.

Mr. Murphy holds an associates degree in Business and African Studies from Fresno City College. A bachelor of Arts degree in African Studies, a bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Leadership from the prestigious Craig School of Business, and a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health and Rehabilitation Counseling all from California State University, Fresno. He is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Psychology at Grand Canyon University.

During Tuesday’s meeting, the Clovis City Council issued a Proclamation recognizing and honoring The African American Historical and Cultural Museum of San Joaquin Valley for 30 years of service to the community. Executive Director NeFesha Ruth Yisra'el was joined by Board members from the African American Historical & Cultural Museum of San Joaquin Valley to accept the Proclamation. If you are interested in learning more about the museum you can visit https://www.aahcmsjv.com

Shout out to our Passing the Torch Award Honoree, Shantay Davies Balch!

“I am the President and CEO of BLACK Wellness & Prosperity Center (BWPC), the first Community Based Organization (CBO) in the County of Fresno established to unapologetically address the Black Maternal Child Health Disparity crisis. I also serve as the Consulting Director for the COVID-19 Equity Project, African American Coalition, housed at one of the nation’s largest Community Action Agencies, Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission.
In 2021, I led the launch of BLACK Doula Network (BDN)--a BWPC flagship. The BDN is a social enterprise designed to address the doula provider deficit, build the missing backbone administrative practice infrastructure needed to support and sustain doulas, and provide birthing persons with access to healthcare services demonstrated to decrease health disparities.

In 2022, I began construction on the Central Valley’s first community-centered full service women’s health clinic and freestanding alternative birthing center, with a specific mission to serve the unmet needs of Black women and babies. I am a results-driven health policy strategist dedicated to improving the lives of Californians. My work to promote a healthy citizenry is informed by my experience and expertise in healthcare operations and knowledge of patient-centered, culturally congruent best practices.

I completed my undergraduate studies in healthcare administration and graduated Summa Cum Laude from Fresno Pacific University. I received my MBA with a specialty in Healthcare Administration and Hospital Management from Johns Hopkins University.”