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.

An End-of-Season Summary From the African American Heritage House (AAHH) 2024 Season

The beautiful summer season has come to an end and the autumn has found us. We'd like to share some end-of-the-season memories. It was an eventful time with nine weeks of incredible speakers, community connections, in-depth discussions, and many moments of celebration. This was made possible by our many supporters and financial contributors.

We deeply thank you for believing in the AAHH’s ability to bring value to the Chautauqua community. We will continue to light a path through history to show respect to those that came before us while we forge new relationships and community through increased outreach and quality friendship. 

Let’s take a look at a few bright spots of the 2024 season!

We had a special visit from a diverse group of high school students that joined us for a history scavenger hunt and a creative exploration of African art patterns. Come visit our stone walkway next season to see the students’ art!

Bridging Music and Cultures 

We connected across cultures as a part of Chautauqua's series of events celebrating George Gershwin’s Rapsody in Blue anniversary, organized by his descendants, Bob and Nancy Ross. This collaborative session entitled Bridging Music and Cultures was a rich discussion about the intersection of Jewish and Black culture coming together through Jazz music. The conversation explored Gershwin’s enduring legacy of Porgy and Bess and the continued complexity of its history. 

Visit with Reverend Otis Moss III and Trinity Unity Church of Christ Choir

We also were honored by a special guest. In the midst of a busy week with Wynton Marsalis’s band on the Chautauqua grounds, AAHH had the pleasure of accommodating at the house the warm and gentle spirit of Reverend Otis Moss III, one of the founders of the AAHH. We were also blessed by Rev. Moss’s talented and exuberant choir that was on the grounds to perform.

We were doubly honored by welcoming an incredible group of ministers from Buffalo in the same week.

We were proud to be a place of celebration, hospitality, and support to all the visitors that came through the Chautauqua community.

A special thanks to Ms. Olivia Hill, our Executive Director, for the excellent and creative stewardship of our nine-week summer program. Never before have we done so much in such a concentrated period of time. She was assisted by our two program assistants, Adar Abdi and Miles Sandler. We were also magnificently assisted by a cadre of volunteers who did everything from hosting our speakers for dinner to staffing our activity fair tent to physically modifying the AAHH House at 40 Scott Ave. Without their dedication and commitment, we would have accomplished far less than we did.

Again, thanks to you all. It was a truly great year! Now, we will start planning for an even bigger and better 2025 season. Stay tuned, and be sure to visit AAHeritageHouse.org for periodic updates. 

African American Heritage House