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research dossier

African American Archive of the Columbia County Inc
Croton Hdsn, NY · EIN 993414291 · Form 990EZ · FY2024 · NTEE A23 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Micro (<$100K) · afamarchivecc.org
revenue
$87K
expenses
$9K
net assets
$82K
employees
—
mission · from form 990

To research record share and promote the history of African Americans in Columbia County NY as it relates to themselves and other members of the community from the early 1700s to the 1900s.

profile · synthesized from sources

The African American Archive of Columbia County Inc is a cultural heritage organization dedicated to researching, preserving, and sharing the history of African Americans in Columbia County, New York from the 17th century onward. It focuses on lifting ancestral voices, documenting family lineages, and promoting public understanding of Black contributions to the region's history. The organization operates through educational programs, community events, and genealogical research initiatives.

named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

Cemetery Restoration Project
Hands-on workshop and community effort to restore and honor the historic Persons of Color Cemetery in Kinderhook, including training in gravestone preservation and guided cemetery tours.
Lindenwald Descendants Project
Initiative to document the lives and lineages of people enslaved at Lindenwald and throughout Columbia County, encouraging descendants to share family trees, oral histories, and artifacts.
Pinkster Fest
Annual community festival celebrating Afro-Dutch heritage through music, genealogy, ceremonial processions, and public education; includes a family reunion for descendants of early Black Columbia County families.
The Long Road Home Lecture Series
Public educational panel discussions exploring genealogy, slavery, and racial history in the Hudson Valley, co-hosted with the Hudson Area Library History Room.
activities · 8 groups

What they do

  • Community Festival & Event Production 2 activities
    • Annual Kinderhook Black Family Reunion and Pinkster Fest
      Organizes and hosts an annual cultural celebration combining family reunion elements with the historical Afro-Dutch Pinkster festival, featuring a parade to the Persons of Color Cemetery, ceremonial crowning of the Pinkster King, cultural performances, exhibits, vendors, food, and educational programming.
    • Educational exhibitions and cultural programming
      Hosts educational exhibitions during Pinkster Fest with 11 exhibitors and features 8 costumed performers to portray Dutch New York history and provide culturally appropriate entertainment.
  • Historic Site Public Programming 2 activities
    • Descendant family reunions and community gatherings
      Organizes events specifically for descendants of enslaved people at Lindenwald and original African American families in Columbia County, including remembrance ceremonies and dedicated time for reconnecting and sharing family histories.
    • Public lecture series on African American history and enslavement
      Hosts recurring educational lecture events featuring historians and interpreters to explore topics such as slavery in Dutch New York, life in the Hudson Valley, historic architecture, and rediscovered figures like Thomas Commeraw; lectures are recorded and made available online.
  • Cemetery Preservation and Maintenance Funding 1 activity
    • Cemetery restoration and preservation workshops
      Conducts hands-on cemetery restoration workshops at the Persons of Color Cemetery in Kinderhook, providing training in headstone cleaning and recovery led by professional specialists.
  • Cemetery Records and Genealogical Research 1 activity
    • Genealogical research support and resource provision
      Provides genealogy research assistance to individuals, maintains curated resource lists and book recommendations, and produces a newsletter to share research findings and organizational updates with the public.
  • Historic Building Restoration and Preservation 1 activity
    • Historic site preservation
      Preserved the historic Van Hoesen Marriott House, a site with significant connections to African American history in Columbia County.
  • Archival Digitization and Preservation 1 activity
    • Online content dissemination
      Makes recordings of public lecture events available through YouTube and the organization’s website to broaden access to educational content on 18th-century Hudson Valley life and African American history.
  • Historical and Genealogical Research 1 activity
    • Research and documentation of African American history in Columbia County
      Conducts genealogical and historical research to document the lives of African Americans in Columbia County from the early 1700s to the 1900s, including the construction of family trees with over 5,000 individuals and narratives contextualizing slavery, freedom, and cultural life. Produces written works and maintains an online archive platform for public access to records.
  • Uncategorized 3 activities
    • Oral history and paranormal phenomena documentation at Lindenwald
      Records and preserves firsthand testimonies of apparitional experiences and unexplained phenomena at Lindenwald, interpreted as spiritual connections to enslaved individuals, including accounts of apparitions, scents, and sounds linked to historical events.
    • Project and organizational management
      Manages project coordination, financial control, grants management, and event planning to support the operations of the African American Archive of Columbia County Inc.
    • Public outreach through publications and curated book sales
      Produces a curated list of books available through Bookshop.org to support historical research and generate funding for organizational activities.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$87K
Contributions & grants$80K93%
Program service revenue$6K7%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$9K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out—
balance sheet
Total assets$82K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$82K
1 years on record · 2024–2024
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

board members · 4
  • John Delikansis — Board member
  • Kate Johnson — Board member
  • Lisa Weilbacker — Board member
  • Victoria JImpson-Fludd — Executive Director
relationships · 19

Who they work with

  • Albany County Historical Society Partner — Honored Deputy Executive Director for innovation in uncovering and presenting inclusive histories.
  • Bookshop.org Partner — Hosts a storefront for recommended books supporting the Archive.
  • Bookshop.org Partner — Partner platform through which the Archive offers a curated list of books and receives support from purchases.
  • Brandt Zipp Partner — Collaborated as a speaker in the 2023-2024 In Perspective Lecture Series on African American potter Thomas Commeraw.
  • Dr. Myra Armstead Partner — Collaborated as a speaker in the 2023-2024 In Perspective Lecture Series on occupations of enslaved and freed peoples.
  • Hudson Area Library Partner — Collaborates on providing access to the Black Legacy Collection for genealogical research.
  • Hudson Area Library History Room Partner — Collaborates with the African American Archive of Columbia County to present public events on genealogy and local history.
  • International African American Museum Center for Family History Partner — Shares genealogical resources and research tools for African American family history.
  • Jacob Leisler Institute for the Study of Early New York History Partner — Shared resource for researching early New York history with connections to colonial-era records.
  • Lindenwald Partner — Collaborates on preserving stories connected to the former home of President Martin Van Buren, focusing on Black historical experiences at the site.
  • Lindenwald Partner — Exhibiting at the Pinkster Fest, contributing historical content related to African American heritage.
  • Lindenwald Partner — Site associated with the history of enslavement where descendants gather for remembrance during the Family Reunion.
  • Martin Van Buren National Historic Site Partner — Co-hosts events and initiatives to honor the lives and experiences of ancestors of original African American families in Columbia County.
  • Mid Hudson Anti-Slavery History Project Partner — Participating as an exhibitor to share research and history on anti-slavery efforts in the region.
  • Professor Andrea Mosterman Partner — Collaborated as a speaker in the 2023-2024 In Perspective Lecture Series on the lived experiences of enslaved peoples.
  • Professor Michael Douma Partner — Collaborated as a speaker in the 2025 Lecture Series on slavery in Dutch New York.
  • Saint Paul's Episcopal Church Partner — Providing traditional strawberry shortcake for the event, supporting community food traditions.
  • Underground Railroad Education Center Partner — Exhibiting at the Pinkster Fest, providing educational resources on local African American history and resistance.
  • Walter Wheeler Partner — Collaborated as a speaker in the 2025 Lecture Series on enslaved people in colonial architecture.
strategies · 3

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Community-Sourced Historiography
    methodology: community_sourced_history
    By collecting oral histories, family trees, and heirlooms directly from community members, the Archive builds a collective and authentic record of African American history in Columbia County, because lived experience and ancestral memory are foundational to preserving cultural continuity and historical accuracy.
  • Context-Integrated Genealogical Research
    methodology: cultural_narrative_integration
    By combining genealogical data with social, historical, and cultural narratives, the Archive enables deeper personal and communal understanding of African American heritage, because isolated family trees gain meaning only when situated within broader historical and cultural frameworks.
  • Experiential Cultural Education
    methodology: interactive_historical_presentation
    By re-creating historical events like the Afro-Dutch Pinkster celebration and using interactive presentations with historians, the Archive fosters public engagement with African American history, because immersive, culturally grounded experiences create deeper understanding and intergenerational connection than passive learning formats.