Welcome to AAHS of Rockland’s Virtual Museum. Thank you for reviewing the rich history of Rockland County NY through vivid imagery. This site is designed to expose visitors to locations of African American historical significance. We hope you enjoy your visit, leave comments on what you like and what...
Kate Savery, the daughter of William Savery, and sister of Cicely Gunner served as principal of the Hillburn Brook School. Her father, William Savery was a master carpenter who was formerly enslaved. His desire to educate his children after the Civil War led to the building of the first school...
Hulda DeFreese was born in 1908 in Hillburn and attended the segregated Brook School. She later advanced to Suffern High School and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from Geneseo College in Upstate New York, and a Master of Arts from New York University in New...
They filled every pew and after realizing that no seating space was to be had, each found a small, yet coveted place to stand in the aisles rather than to return home on this late August day. No matter how uncomfortable the accommodations, it was important for each to...
By Travis E. Jackson, Ed.D. The decade between 1940-1950 was dominated by the Second World War and the uneasy peace that followed. When the Japanese launched their surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, they were already in control of much of the Pacific region. Their major...
By Travis E. Jackson, Ed.D. The discovery of the African Burial Ground in Lower Manhattan in 1991 stimulated an interest in slavery, as it had existed in New York City during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Until that time, the city’s deep association with slavery was not widely known;...
Ronnie Farley is an award-winning fine art and editorial photographer. Ronnie’s books include; Women of the Native Struggle: Portraits and Testimony of Native American Women (Crown), Cowgirls: Contemporary Portraits of the American West (Crown/ Thunder’s Mouth Press), Diary of a Pedestrian: A New York Photo Memoir (Third Eye Press), and New York Water Towers (KMWstudio). Ronnie’s work has been...
Jamila Brathwaite has researched African American history within Rockland County for many years. Her work on this project entailed the identification of historical locations of interests and compiling the historical narratives. Jamila is a public historian, project consultant and curator. She has worked with the African American Historical Society...
The Gift of Music: Composers of the African Diaspora was presented to 500 school children from school districts across the county and to the community-at-large in two programs. The identical presentations showcased male and female composers from the U.S. and from other parts of the world and introduced audiences...
A Mighty River: Celebrating the Contributions of the Peoples of the African Diaspora to the Economic Development along the Lower Hudson River Presented on February 5, 2009, at SUNY Rockland Community College. The conference consisted of the following: A morning session for Rockland County students in Grades 7-9 An afternoon session for...