Preserving Local Voices: UC Davis Students Illuminate a Hidden Black Community
UC Davis students are uncovering hidden stories from Yolo County’s past, highlighting a little-known Black community in Woodland that thrived in the mid-1800s through the early 1900s. Through research led by Associate Professor Cecilia Tsu and a team of undergraduate and graduate students, the project documented the lives of formerly enslaved individuals and their descendants, preserving photographs, maps, court records, and personal histories.
Their work resulted in public resources including elementary school lesson plans, a digital presentation, and a display at the Woodland Opera House State Historic Park, titled “The Yolo Singing Club: Freedom, Family and Music.” Stories of families like Mary Winrow’s, who were brought to California in the mid-1800s, reveal both the challenges and resilience of the local Black community.
By sharing these histories in classrooms and public spaces, the students are helping make local history more accessible while highlighting Black contributions—a goal aligned with UC Davis’ Aggie Black Excellence initiative. The project also connects to UC Davis’ broader K–12 engagement, giving young learners the chance to explore diverse stories from their own communities.
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