Oakland, CA
The Alumnae of Color Committee of the AAMC (AoCC), the Black Reparations Project of Mills College at Northeastern, and the Mills College Office of Alumnae Relations invite you to take a train ride to visit California’s Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park in honor of Juneteenth.
Founded in 1908 by Colonel Allen Allensworth—the highest-ranking African American officer of his time—and other African American trailblazers, Allensworth was envisioned as a self-sufficient town where African Americans could live with dignity and full civic participation. Today, in addition to educating visitors on the town’s history, the park holds events throughout the year including an annual, family-friendly Juneteenth celebration, which features re-enactments, historic building tours, Black history presentations, and lessons in early-century food prep and crafting techniques. For entertainment, Shawn Raiford and his singers will fill the air with soulful R&B classic renditions of hit tunes from James Brown, Luther Vandross, Patti LaBelle, and more.
SCHEDULE
6:00 am: Meet in Oakland’s Jack London Square Amtrak lobby to ensure seating with fellow Mills alums and guests and to collect your free tickets, if applicable.
6:36 am: Amtrak Train 710 departs Jack London Square. During the ride, Ashley Adams, associate teaching professor and director of the Black Reparations Project, will offer a brief lecture on the town’s history. She has also curated a list of suggested readings you may want to explore prior to the trip.
12:00 noon: Arrive at Allensworth. Walk five minutes or take the shuttle to town.
12:15 pm – 4:00 pm: Learn about Allensworth history and participate in the celebrations.
4:55 pm: Take Amtrak Train 719 back to Jack London Square.
10:30 pm: Arrive in Oakland. (Optionally, take the earlier 2:55 Train 717, which arrives in Oakland at 8:30.)
LOCATION
Meet at Jack London Square’s Amtrak station lobby in Oakland.
COST
Tickets are $25 per person, with limited free tickets available to those who find the cost to be a barrier, thanks to a generous grant from Parks California. Complete this form to indicate your interest in applying for free tickets.
To book your trip now:
- Purchase tickets in advance with Amtrak, as they may sell out. See schedule above.
- RSVP to mills.alumnaerelations@northestern.edu to let us know you plan to attend and would like to sit with the group.
QUESTIONS? Contact the Office of Alumnae Relations at mills.alumnaerelations@northeastern.edu or 510.430.2123.