ALLENSWORTH, Calif., Sept. 5, 2024 - Today, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development California State Director Maria Gallegos Herrera announced $100,000 in Community Facilities Program grants to support the Allensworth Elementary School District and help protect the historic Allensworth cemetery. These investments demonstrate a focus on equity and partnerships to respond to community needs.
“Rural Development California is honored to play a small part in supporting the community of Allensworth. The Allensworth Historic Cemetery is not just a burial ground; it’s a piece of history, and a testament to the community’s resilience and determination to preserving their legacy,” said Gallegos Herrera. “Ensuring its preservation honors the legacy of those who built this community and keeps their memory alive for generations to come. I’m also so proud to support the school district’s efforts to provide their students with a safe and comfortable experience. Today’s investments highlight the importance of partnerships and what’s possible when we come together to address barriers in underserved communities. It also reaffirms the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to equity in historically underserved rural areas.”
The Allensworth cemetery is a historic site in Allensworth, California. The town is named for Lt. Colonel Allen Allensworth, who escaped slavery and became the highest ranking African American military officer of his time. He and four other men founded the town in 1908 and it was the first in California to be founded, financed, and governed by African Americans. Over time, burial plots at the cemetery have been disturbed and several burials have been desecrated as there has been no protective barrier to restrict activities. $50,000 in USDA Rural Development grant funds, in partnership with the County of Tulare, Central Valley Community Foundation, and California Wellness Foundation, will help build a wrought iron fence to protect and restore this historic site.
The Allensworth Elementary School District is receiving a $50,000 grant to repaint and install air conditioning on a district school bus and purchase a storage shed. This school district is in Tulare County, a persistent poverty area.
Gallegos Herrera made the announcements at the historic cemetery along with other USDA leadership as part of a USDA Equity Commission engagement. In February 2022, the U.S. Department of Agriculture launched the Equity Commission to advise the Secretary of Agriculture and provide USDA with an analysis of how its programs, policies, systems, structures, and practices that contribute to barriers to inclusion or access, systemic discrimination, or exacerbate or perpetuate racial, economic, health and social disparities and recommendations for action.
These investments are the latest result of USDA Rural Development’s Creating Opportunities through Rural Engagement (CORE) effort in California. CORE is designed to increase investments in underserved rural communities by increasing engagement. Since 2022, California staff have held listening sessions and established partnerships in several underserved communities, which have shed light on the self-identified needs of rural residents.
Since CORE efforts began, 29 obligations totaling $4,248,520 have been awarded in California, which illustrates USDA Rural Development’s dedication to equity and the prosperity of rural Californians.
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, Tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov/ca. To subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.