The African-American Heritage House (AAHH) is an organization informed by the African American Experience, committed to strengthening Chautauqua by encouraging and welcoming diversity, fostering honest conversations, and adding new voices to the programmatic mix. The AAHH is proud to bring quality programming with unique perspectives to the Chautauqua Institution.

A Mid-Season Look From the African American Heritage House (AAHH) 2024 Season Summary

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Greetings on the 150th anniversary of Chautauqua Institution and the 50th anniversary of Freedom Summer. We have reached the halfway point in the season and by the time you read this, there will be more of the 2024 Summer Assembly Season behind us than in front of us.

As usual, the season is moving quickly but it is very different from last year. We again have a new team in place led by our Executive Director, Olivia Hill, assisted by two Program Associates, Adar Abdi and Miles Sandler. Unlike years past, a ton of early planning took place and the team was humming from Week One and, more importantly, has continued to perform at a high level.

The weekly rhythm has pretty much solidified:

Sunday:

1. The week normally starts at 12:00 pm on Bestor Plaza where the AAHH, along with many other community organizations, participates in the weekly Activity Fair where, assisted by Khadi Abram, our Team Assistant, we staff an informational table, greet visitors and outline our activities for the coming week.

2. Our first formal event is the Porch Chat on the porch of the Athenaeum Hotel at 1:00 pm where Ms. Hill moderates a discussion on topics of the day. Given all that is going on in this election year, the chats have been robust and quite well attended. We continue to be pleased with the number of younger people and students who are attending and sharing their perspectives with the group.

Monday:

3. We have an Open House from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm at the AAHH house at 40 Scott Ave. Visitors can drop in to view exhibits, talk with the staff and each other or just relax in a newly renovated comfortable environment. The walls of the house are covered with storyboards depicting the lives of African Americans during the 1874-1914 period. These storyboards were developed by our archivist, Emalee Sanfilippo and continue to be topics of great interest to our visitors.

Tuesday:

4. At 3:30 pm on Tuesdays, we hold a traditional Speaker Reception at our house at 40 Scott Ave. As we have removed the wall between the living room and the dining room, both the acoustics and the sightlines have improved. The addition of a handicap-accessible restroom and a new powder room are also welcome enhancements. Attendance continues to exceed our expectations and the questions from the audience always exceed the speaker’s expectations.

Wednesday:

5. At 3:30 pm on Wednesday in the Hall of Philosophy, our Weekly Lecture occurs. Attendance continues to be robust. Questions to the speaker continue to be submitted through the online system or by paper. While they were unique and sometimes amusing, the traditional Chautauqua speeches masquerading as questions continue to be avoided. Another sign of the times is that when we have speakers who may reflect a political position, there is now added and visible security present. Enhanced security does upset many of the traditionalists, but it reflects the times and is a welcome addition, from our perspective. We will continue to tell history both loudly and accurately.

Thursday:

6. While run by the Institution, a Chautauqua Dialogue takes place each Thursday at 4:00 pm expressly focused on the AAHH Wednesday lecture. These dialogues take place at our home at 40 Scott Ave.

Friday:

7. The second Open House of the week occurs from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm.

8. Special Events: With the renovation of the house and the presence of a tent beside the house, the number of these events again continues to grow starting with a barbecue in Week One to welcome the Homeboys to the property. This was followed by numerous receptions for students, actors and others. The house was also host in Week Four for one of the four Gershwin special events held on the property that week. Many more wanted to attend than we had seating capacity to accommodate. What is clear is that the physical house has now become a required destination for many. Whether they come to read, to listen, or just to seek a place of comfort and solitude, they are coming. “Build it and they will come”

9. Speaker Dinners: The hosting of speaker’s dinners by AAHH friends and donors has become a formal program. Since our speakers are generally here for both Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, it is an opportunity for our friends and supporters to host a dinner and learn more about the speaker in a uniquely up close and personal way.

10. Outreach: This is one of our strategic imperatives and I am proud to note that our work is reinforcing the concept. Whether it is work with the Homeboys, students, visiting professionals or Amit Taneja, the Institution’s Chief Diversity Officer (CDO), our readership team is focused on this cross-cutting imperative. We also work with the Women’s Club as well as other support groups such as the Chautauqua Property Owner’s Association (CPOA) and the LGBTQ+ and Friends community to make this a better and more welcoming place for all. Many of our efforts are assisted on an ongoing basis by numerous friends and supporters.

As I noted last year, our strategic plan is in place, and we are now working with outside consultants to solidify our brand and test the efficacy of a major fundraising campaign. Stay tuned.

I want to close by thanking you for both your interest and your financial support. As many of you are aware, we are entirely supported by contributions, and it is only with your support that we are able to continue the work that we do here at Chautauqua Institution.

The AAHH 2024 Season Speaker Program Announced

Thanks to our many friends and supporters, the AAHH Program Committee under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. Sterling Freeman is pleased to once again present an outstanding and diverse set of speakers to celebrate not only the 150th Anniversary of the Chautauqua Institution but also the 50th Anniversary of Freedom Summer.

A brief bio for each speaker can be accessed by simply clicking on their name below.

Week One: Marla Frederick Ph.D., John Lord O’Brian Professor of Divinity and 18th Dean of Harvard Divinity School

Week Two: Dr. Conrad Tucker, Director of Carnegie Mellon University-Africa (CMU-Africa) and the Associate Dean for International Programs-Africa

Week Three: Rev. Traci Blackmon, Minister and Public Theologian

Week Four: Helen Bond, Ph.D., University Professor in the School of Education at Howard University in Washington, D.C.

Week Five: Pierce Freelon, GRAMMY® nominated Artist, Picture Book Author and Podcaster

Week Six: Dr. Tammy L. Kernodle, University Distinguished Professor of Music at Miami University (OH)

Week Seven: Patrick T. Smith, Ph.D., Director of Bioethics Programs for the Trent Center for Bioethics, Humanities & History of Medicine at Duke University School of Medicine

Week Eight: Raymond Arsenault, John Hope Franklin Professor of Southern History emeritus at the University of South Florida

Week Nine: Nolan Williams, Jr., Founder & CEO of NEWorks Productions

President Erroll Davis noted “I want to thank Sterling and the team for another job well done. But, I especially want to thank our friends and supporters whose generosity has allowed us to assemble yet one more quality summer program.”

Each Tuesday afternoon at 3:30 pm EDT, there will be a reception for the weekly speaker to which all are invited. At the reception, there will be an opportunity to get a preview of the next day’s speech as well as an opportunity to interact with the speaker on a very personal level. Speeches will be at 3:30 pm EDT each Wednesday in the Hall of Philosophy. Please join us for these weekly events.

Porch Chats