St. Andrews African Methodist Episcopal Church, Sacramento, 1916-1917

Title: St. Andrews African Methodist Episcopal Church, Sacramento, 1916-1917
Alternative title: Churches in Sacramento
Date Created: 1916-1917
Date: 1916/1917
Collection: Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections

Description: St. Andrews AME Church was founded in 1850. It was active in efforts to prevent runaway slaves from being returned to bondage. In 1855 and 1856 St. Andrews hosted two important “California Colored Citizens State Conventions,” where the state’s earliest black residents petitioned the Legislature for basic rights – the right to vote, to testify against whites in court and to send their children to public schools. It stands to this day as the oldest continuous African Methodist Episcopal (AME) congregation on the west coast.
View of the facade of St. Andrew's A.M.E. Church.
Caption: St. Andrews A.M.E. church, Sacramento Photographed from East Bay Directory 1916/1917. Secured from James Abajian