We meet the first Thursday of each month at 2 PM in the Encore Theater (except July and August). All Riderwood residents are welcome to join! For more information, please contact Melissa Pumphrey at AAHCRW@riderwoodlife.com.
The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) has opened on Online Searchable Museum for you to explore!
Our Mission
- To celebrate the contributions of African Americans to American culture
- To study, preserve, and share the history of African Americans
- To contribute to the life and activities at Riderwood
History
The Black History Week Committee was formed in 2001 by six African American residents of the Riderwood community whose efforts were supported by Lenora Booth, an African American and one of the first Executive Directors of Riderwood.
Originally confined to one week in February, the celebration grew and became a Black History Month affair. During this time, activities included a Southern food luncheon, seminars, cultural displays, musical programs, movies, daily RW TV profiles of African Americans and their accomplishments and other special events enjoyed by the entire Riderwood community.
The organization of the activities has always been a volunteer effort. Because of the increased number of residents and the interest in expanding activities, it became necessary to modify the structure. In 2012, the club’s members changed the name of the organization to the African American History Club of Riderwood Village. They decided to hold monthly meetings, elect officers, and collect dues. The Constitution was adopted in 2017.
Although selected activities are highlighted in February, the AAHC of RW organizes and participates in events throughout the year. The club also sponsors activities with the Performance Arts Council and the Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee.
Past Activities
On February 2, 2023, in a joint session with the Genealogy Tech Club, Elenora Giddings Ivory presented Are you my Cousin?, Genealogy Tips & Pre-Civil War Family History.
Musical presentations by the High Point High School Choir, the Howard University Jazz Ensemble, Kelvin Page, Joshua Coyne, Ken Thomas and Friends, Janine Gilbert Carter, Harry Bass, and The Lomax Sisters
Presentations on African American life such as “African American Ancestry,” “NAACP Marks a Century of Civil Rights,” “The Struggle of African Americans for Voting Rights,” “Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,” “The Tuskegee Airmen in WW II,” The Life of Harriet Tubman,” “African Americans at West Point,” and “Females in the Military”
Guest Speakers including Marian Wright Edelman, Jacquelyn Days Serwer, Freeman Hrabowski, Sam Ford, Lonnie G. Bunch, Harold (Hari) Jones, and Lenora Booth
Informative Presentations about Historically Black Colleges and Universities, STEM Programs for Black Youth, African American Quilts, Organ Donation, Kwanzaa, and Juneteenth