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Celebrating Black Women during Women’s History Month – Black Women’s Contributions and Resistance: Past, Present, and Future

By Faye Wilson Kennedy,  Sacramento Area Black Caucus (SABC) Black Parallel School Board (BPSB)

International Women’s Day was founded in 1910 by courageous, progressive women. Thank you for your courage and vision as we celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8, 2026!

Women’s History Month began as a local celebration in Santa Rosa, California. In 1978, the Education Task Force of Sonoma County, California, Commission on the Status of Women planned and executed a “Women’s History Week” celebration. The organizers selected the week of March 8 to coincide with International Women’s Day. The movement spread across the country, with other communities initiating their own Women’s History Week celebrations the following year.

In 1980, a consortium of women’s groups and historians—led by the National Women’s History Project (now the National Women’s History Alliance)—successfully lobbied for national recognition. So, in February 1980, the late President Jimmy Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation declaring the Week of March 8th, 1980, as National Women’s History Week.   

This two-part essay series will primarily focus on the major contributions of local Black women to the development and history of the city, state, region, and country.

Black people and specifically Black Women in Sacramento during the late 1840s and early 1850s were pioneers who navigated the complexities of the Gold Rush, enslavement, and emerging racism to establish early community institutions. Despite the hostile environment, they were central to the development of Black society in the region.  Black women were documented at major local events, including activities at Sutter’s Fort, the region’s central hub in the 1840s. 

To be a Black citizen in America yet denied full citizenship rights, epitomizes the hypocrisy of American democracy. This is a sad truth for Black men, but especially for Black women. We know about Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, and maybe Phillis Wheatley. The women identified in this essay are not well-known heroines in history books or in the region. 

The demographics of 1840s California were predominantly male; some Black women arrived with, or were brought by, Southern white slaveholders, particularly around the 1849 Gold Rush. By 1850, California had 962 Black residents.  During Enslavement and Freedom times, in the early 1850s, several enslaved Black people were present in Sacramento County. Despite this, women often found ways to gain freedom for themselves and their families. In 1850, Elizabeth Thorn Scott became a prominent figure in educating Black children.  

Elizabeth Thorn Scott, educator and activist  

Elizabeth Thorn Scott established a school in her home in 1850, which later moved to the basement of the St. Andrew’s African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church.  The church, was established in 1850, was a hub for community organization and activism against slavery and racism.  In 1855, Scott Flood attended the first Colored State Convention in Sacramento. At that convention, attendees and activists strategized on how to lobby California politicians for better representation and fundamental civil rights, including voting rights.

Nancy Gooch (who later settled near Coloma, CA) was able to accumulate land and wealth despite the challenges, becoming part of the early Black land-owning class.

Black women in Sacramento and the surrounding areas were actively engaged in activism to protect their families from the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 and the constant threat of being enslaved.  Two prominent figures, including Elizabeth Thorn Scott Flood (who taught in Sacramento before moving to Oakland) and Sarah Mildred Jones, helped lay the groundwork for civil rights activism. Mary Ellen Pleasant, best known in San Francisco, also exerted influence in the Sacramento area in the late 1840s. She utilized her skills as a cook and entrepreneur to provide lodging and meals for miners, quickly amassing wealth that she later used to fund abolitionist causes.

Black women’s contributions in Sacramento in the 1900s

In the early 1900s, Black women in Sacramento played pivotal roles in establishing the city’s social, educational, and cultural foundations, despite the community’s relatively small size of less than 1,000 residents. Our sisters were active in community building, social clubs, and church life, navigating a society marked by racism, sexism, and segregation. While many were restricted to domestic labor, middle-class women actively supported civil rights and local causes, often organizing with the California State Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs, founded in 1906, to address social needs and working under the motto “Deeds Not Words”. Yes, after gaining the right to vote in California in 1911, these women were actively involved in rallying support for women’s suffrage, not without confronting racism.

Other notable Black Women of the time: Sarah Mildred Jones Flood was a groundbreaking educator who became the first Black principal of an integrated elementary school in Sacramento when she was appointed to lead Fremont Primary School in 1894.   Anna Madah Hyers, a former musical theater star and part of the “Hyers Sisters” duo, retired to Sacramento shortly before 1900. In the 1900s, she remained active in the community, playing the organ and singing at local church functions until she died in 1925. Delilah Beasley, based primarily in Oakland, was a pioneering historian and journalist who began documenting the lives of Black Californians, including those in Sacramento, and published her major work in 1919. 

Jennie Carter was a free Black woman born in 1830 or maybe 1831.  was an articulate social critic who wrote from her home in Nevada City during the mid-1860s through the 1870s. 

Mary Winrow (Mary Ann Johnson), an enslaved woman brought to Yolo County from Missouri in 1856, was eventually emancipated and became a central figure in Woodland’s first Black community. She formed one of the county’s core “kin groups,” a resilient network that helped other Black families navigate the challenges of the post-Civil War era.  Mary Gaither, a highly respected nurse and midwife, and her husband were among the first to build a home in Esparto, CA. Her work in healthcare was vital to the early development of Western Yolo County communities. 

Mary Ann Dix, a part-Wintun Native American, married Green Logan Berry. In the winter of 1890, the family homesteaded more than 160 acres on the Guinda Summit in Capay Valley. By late 1898, the property was paid for, and a house had been built in compliance with the Homestead Act. Three children followed his example — Alvin Alfred, Marie, and Green Berry Jr., homesteading nearly 400 acres between them.

Sisters Grace Logan Patterson (1909-1990) and Addie Mae Logan Molson (1914-2002) were born in Guinda and graduated from Esparto High School in 1928 and 1930. Despite facing racism and discrimination, they earned their teaching credentials from San Francisco State College and Sacramento State College.  Grace Patterson was the first African American teacher in Vallejo in 1949, and Grace Patterson Elementary School in Vallejo is named in her honor.  Addie Mae Molson was hired as the first African American teacher in the North Sacramento School District in 1951. Following her retirement in 1972, she worked as a substitute teacher in Woodland schools until 1989. 

We cannot discuss Sacramento’s Black Community without discussing the famous “The West End” neighborhood, which served as a hub for Black-owned businesses and social clubs.  The West End is located between the State Capitol and the Sacramento River. Sacramento’s business class considered a multiracial neighborhood at the gateway to the Capital City an undesirable liability, hindering the city’s ambitions for growth and development. Using racist land use policies based on institutional racism, combined with federal redevelopment incentives and highway programs, Sacramento’s leaders ( governmental agencies and local civic groups)  erased the city’s most vibrant neighborhood. Sacramento’s story was far from unique; in downtowns across the country, highways and mid-century development projects mark the graves of demolished neighborhoods of color.  Many of the Black-owned and operated businesses once housed in the “West End” were featured in the famous “Green Book”.   Between 1900 and the late 1950s, Black Sacramentans were confined to the live and operate businesses in the “West End.” After governmental agencies and civic groups erased the city’s most vibrant neighborhood, the “West End,”  Black Sacramento residents were forced to find housing in Oak Park and some parts of North Sacramento.

During the 1880s, Black women quilters in California and the Sacramento region were part of a growing community of Black pioneers who brought Southern quilting traditions to the Western frontier. While specific individuals from Sacramento in the 1880s are often obscured by archival underrepresentation, their presence is documented within broader historical contexts.   

Black women’s quilting in Sacramento is deeply connected to the legacy of the Great Migration, where Southern traditions of “making do” were brought West as both functional, warm bedding and as artistic, cultural, and personal expressions of identity.  The celebration of the joyful power of quilts, created by Black women, features images of over 100 quilts at the Getty Museum and Store. The first publication dedicated to historical African American quilts in California, Routed West traces the flow and flourishing of quilts during the Second Great Migration from 1940 to 1970. As millions of Black Americans sought greater economic opportunities and freedom outside of the American South, hundreds of thousands initially arrived in the Golden State. Many migrants carried quilts as functional objects and physical reminders of the homes they left behind. 

Sources: a special thank you to the following individuals and organizations for documenting and celebrating Black Women’s histories and accomplishments:

  • Sacramento Observer
  • The Davis Enterprise
  • Sacramento African American Experience Project
  • Clarence Caesar, local historian and community activist
  • Shona McDaniel, local artist and founder of the Sojourner Truth African Museum
  • William Burg, local historian
  • Professor Cecilia Tsu, the UC Davis history project, and the sociology major discovered historical archives
  • Sacramento History Museum
  • Center for Sacramento History 

Women’s History-related events & resources:

  • Now-March 29 at Sacramento History Museum: Visit our new exhibit in the Camellia Gallery at the Sacramento History Museum through March 29, 2026! This exhibit, in partnership with the Sacramento County Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, discovers 11 remarkable women from the mid-19th century to today whose vision, persistence, and compassion made profound differences in the Sacramento region.
  • March 1–31 at California Museum: March is Women’s History Month! To celebrate, we’re offering buy-one, get-one admission all month long so you can explore the stories of remarkable California women with someone special. Start your journey at “Women Inspire,” featuring over 250 trailblazing women from California’s past and present. Then, discover the stories of Golden State women highlighted throughout the entire museum! Use code WOMEN26 when booking online, or mention the offer at the door. Offer valid March 1–31. 1020 O St. Sacramento, CA
  • Saturday, March 7: NCNW’s 37th Annual Sweet Potato Festival Sat., March 7 @ new location: Simmons Community Center, 25 Massie Court in Sacramento. 10:00 AM until 4:00 PM.
  • Saturday, March 7: 2026 Sacramento County Women & Girls Festival on Saturday, March 7, as we celebrate Women’s History Month and the women and girls who power our community. Tickets and info: bit.ly/2026SacFestival (registration encouraged). Sacramento City College, 3835 Freeport Blvd, from 10 am to 2 pm.
    • In celebration of International Women’s Day and their 36th year as a mother/daughter poetry team, join Straight Out Scribes at the Sac City College Main Stage on the Quad at 12:55 pm There will be fun, food, multicultural entertainment, family-friendly activities, shopping, and opportunities to connect to the community! The festival also includes a Youth and Kids Zone, making it a welcoming event for families and young people. For more info: Timiza Wash – [email protected].
  • Saturday, March 7:  Wear Your Heritage at 12 noon at Bijoul Creatives, Suite 115, inside Florin Square, 2251 Florin Road, suite 115, Sacramento, CA
  • Sunday, March 8:Join us at the State Capitol as we stand with women to protect their right to vote this next Century. Celebrating International Women’s Day this year is more important than ever. The SAVE Act is passing through the US Congress and will remove the voting rights of over 70 million US Citizens -women will be impacted at a 9-1 ratio. It is time for our communities to stand together and protect women. (Women’s March).  For more info, visit: https://action.womensmarch.com/events/sacramento-international-women-s-day
  • Wednesday, March 11:  Black Women Organized for Political Action is hosting a meet-and-greet with Lauren Babb Tomlinson, candidate for Congressional District 6, and Dr. Flojaune Cofer, candidate for Sacramento County Board of Supervisors District 1. Register  https://buff.ly/FngbqcA!
  • Thursday, March 12: Gallery 1075 is holding its annual Women’s History Month Art Show from 6 to 8 p.m. at the West Sacramento Community Center, offering an evening filled with culture, insight, and artistry. The event is free to attend, and all ages are welcome. Light refreshments will be provided. The Women’s History Month exhibition will be on display through Tuesday, March 31, and will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
  • Saturday, March 14: Join us for a special Let’s Read Oak Park as we welcome author Kimberly Biddle for a joyful and inspiring reading of her book As You Are. Underground books, 2814 35th St, Sacramento, CA, United States, California 95817 at 10 AM
  • Designed for children ages 5–12, this heartwarming event will feature a full read-aloud of As You Are, a story that celebrates confidence, self-acceptance, and the beauty of being yourself. Kimberly Biddle will bring the story to life, creating an engaging and interactive experience that encourages young readers to embrace who they are.
  • Monday, March 16: California Black Women’s Health Collective. Join us for Legislative Policy Day 2026: Power in Policy — Uplifting the Voices of Black Women and Girls on Monday, March 16, 2026, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. We’ll gather for a full day of advocacy and legislative visits, followed by a reception to connect and reflect together. Advocacy training will be provided to ensure everyone feels prepared and confident. 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM,  California State Capitol,  Meeting Point: Sheraton Grand Sacramento. Register at: ocs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeGThQB3CxUgTNPUFR2-UIrYlw8nXRQBknty6YfCjT6AAICjQ/viewform.
  • Wednesday, March 18: The Sacramento History Museum, in partnership with Celebration Arts, presents a Chautauqua evening with Mary Pleasant. Actor and producer Susheel Bibbs shares Pleasant’s life and struggles as a Civil Rights activist. Catch this remarkable performance on Wednesday, March 18, at the Celebration Arts Theatre located at 2727 B Street in Sacramento. Tickets for Meet Mary Pleasant may be purchased through our website below. https://shopsachistorymuseum.org/Events.aspx.
  • Friday, March 20: In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Sacramento Poor People’s Campaign (Sac PPC) is partnering with the Black Hair and Black Hygiene (BHBH) Project to co-host a Collection & Give-a-Way Drive, and we are also seeking volunteers. Taking it to the streets in South Sacramento-join us on Friday, March 20, from 4-6 PM at the beautiful Valley Hi – North Laguna Library, 7400 Imagination Parkway, Sacramento, CA 95823 (off Bruceville Rd., across from Cosumnes River College).To donate items or volunteer, please include “Sac PPC/BHBH Project” in the subject line. To volunteer or donate items on March 20, please include “Sac PPC/BHBH Project” in the subject line. To volunteer or for more information, please contact Faye at [email protected].
  • March 20, 2026: 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm @ 6 PM- Author Talk Featuring Jordan Robinson’s “Court Queens” at underground books. For tickets and more info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/author-talk-featuring-jordan-robinsons-court-queens-tickets-1983014210886?aff=oddtdtcreator
  • Various dates and locations: Sacramento State: In collaboration with the campus community, the Women’s Resource Center (WRC Sac State) is hosting a series of events throughout March. Join us to celebrate!  List of events: sacstate.me/41KaBW5.

Resources:

Stay tuned for the 2nd essay focusing on contemporary Black women and Black women’s organizations in the Sacramento region. 

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