Events

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Experience a journey into history and explore the rich cultural heritage of African Americans buried at Evergreen Cemetery. Join us and be inspired by the stories of past leaders and trailblazers who fought for equality and justice. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity!

Join our Black History Tour at the iconic Historic Evergreen Cemetery this Saturday, February 24th, 2024, from 10:00 am to 11:30 am. Our tour will be led by Vivian M. Escalante, CEO and President of Boyle Heights Community Partners, Jackie Broxton, the President and CEO of the Biddy Mason Charitable Foundation, and Andrea Griego, a Boyle Heights native and our docent.

As the second oldest community in Los Angeles, Boyle Heights has played a significant role in shaping the city's cultural, social, and political landscape. Our Black History Tour will take you on a journey through time and leave you in awe.

Don't miss this chance to be a part of our Black History Tour. We are grateful for your attendance and look forward to taking you on many more tours in the future.

Join us for an unforgettable Black History Tour at Evergreen Cemetery, where you'll be transported through time to discover the remarkable story of Bridget “Biddy” Mason. We would like to make another introduction to our expert guide, Jackie Broxton, who will ignite your passion for history and inspire you to embrace your heritage. Through her captivating storytelling, you'll gain a deeper understanding of the struggles and triumphs of Black Americans and uncover narratives that have been hidden for far too long. Don't miss this opportunity to honor Black History and pay tribute to a true pioneer.

Jackie is the President and CEO of the Biddy Mason Charitable Foundation. She has a deep-rooted passion for her community and established the foundation in 2013 to support current and former foster youth in Los Angeles County. Her dedication to their well-being extends beyond the foundation, as she seamlessly merges her love for history with her desire to make a difference.

Jackie's interest in African American history grew during middle school in Los Angeles. As she gained knowledge, her love for the subject flourished, and it shaped her into the woman she is today.

Presently, Jackie is working on a remarkable project - a series of six one-act plays centered around the conversations between Biddy Mason, an influential figure among the early settlers of Los Angeles, and others from that era. The plays aim to breathe life into the stories hidden within the folds of time, shedding light on the experiences, triumphs, and struggles of those who came before.

Jackie dedicated her time to this enthralling theatrical endeavor and served her community as a 40-year member of the First AME Church, an African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles. Her leadership within the foster care community had garnered recognition from the Black Faculty and Staff of the Los Angeles Community College Association, showcasing her commitment to making a positive impact in the lives of others.

However, Jackie's efforts didn't stop there. She also served as a Community Outreach Director for the Long Journey to Freedom, a profound international research project exploring the life of Biddy Mason. Through this role, she connected with individuals from various backgrounds, uniting them in their quest to uncover the untold stories of the past.

Amidst all her accomplishments, Jackie takes pride in her role as a mother and grandmother. Her daughter, Felicia Martin Hill, shone brightly as the Director of Media and Promotions for Essence Magazine. In Jackie's eyes, her grandsons Isaiah and Christian brought immeasurable joy and inspiration, reminding her of the importance of legacy and the future.

Your ticket donation help us cover the costs of permits required to host public tours. These tours are not only expensive, but also very important for us to share the history of our community. We appreciate your generosity and would like to thank you in advance for your tax-deductible contribution.

We want to take this opportunity to introduce you to our docent, Andrea Griego, who is a Boyle Heights native with family roots in the community since 1911 and a passion for local history, archaeology, and fundraising.

Andrea is a product of the Los Angeles Unified School District and a graduate of UC Santa Cruz (B.A. Anthropology) and Stanford University (M.A. Anthropology, emphasis in Archaeology). Ms. Griego is a 2010 Sally Casanova Scholar of the California State University's Pre-Doctoral Program.

Andrea has participated in archaeological excavations along the northern California coast, a POW WWII site in Canada, and in Maryland at the Wye Plantation and the historic city of Annapolis. She has 14 years' experience as a docent with Las Angelitas del Pueblo, giving tours on the history of the birthplace of Los Angeles, El Pueblo de Los Angeles. For the past nine years, she has pursued a career as a fundraising professional, and for the last six years, she has worked at PUENTE Learning Center in Boyle Heights as a Grants Manager and Senior Grants Officer.

Ms. Griego assisted in the nomination of two Los Angeles sites that became either a historical resource or a historic cultural monument. In 2012, El Centro Grocery and the Maravilla Handball Court, located in the East Los Angeles community of Maravilla, was placed on the California Register of Historical Resources as the oldest remaining handball court in Los Angeles. In 2022, Otomisan Japanese Restaurant in Boyle Heights achieved Historic-Cultural Monument status by the city of Los Angeles as the city's oldest continuously operating Japanese restaurant.

BHCP TOUR POLICIES:

Our walking tour begins at 10 am, so please ensure that you arrive early or on time to check-in and use the restroom. The tour will end at approximately between 11:30 - 12:00 pm, allowing time for Q&A. We recommend that you wear comfortable shoes or boots as the ground may be uneven, dirty, or muddy. During the tour, please refrain from videotaping or recording, but you may feel free to take photos.

The tour is scheduled to go ahead, rain or shine, as we have invested in permits allowing us to present this wonderful and exciting tour to you. During the cooler February season, consider wearing a jacket or sweater. We will provide 11oz of Box Water.

Wearing a mask is optional, so please be respectful of others. If you feel unwell or have tested positive for COVID-19, please use your better judgment and refrain from attending.

Parking is available throughout, and there is plenty of space. We will provide a brief overview of Part I of our Black History Tour so that you are aware of the distance. Please do not park in the parking space in front of the office.