JUNETEENTH SESQUICENTENNIAL - VILLA LEWAROTM 1865-2015 - The Hudson ...

JUNETEENTH
   SESQUICENTENNIAL
                     1865-2015
                          AT

        VILLA LEWARO                         TM

THE HISTORIC LANDMARK ESTATE OF MADAM C. J. WALKER
IRVINGTON-ON-HUDSON, NEW YORK

         SESQUICENTENNIAL PROGRAM

AMBASSADOR HAROLD AND MRS. HELENA DOLEY
              YOUR HOSTS

JUNE 20, 2015

                          FROM HAROLD AND HELENA DOLEY
We are honored you have chosen to celebrate the Sesquicentennial of
Juneteenth with us! Both this holiday, and this historic estate, hold great
meaning not only for us but for all African-American citizens who have worked
for 150 years to fulfill the American promise, and to enjoy the American dream.
The significance of Madam C.J. Walker endures to this day.
We hope you appreciate both the art and architecture of this historic legacy
estate. Madam is here in spirit.

                                     THE History of Juneteenth
Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United
States. On June 19th, 1865, Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston,
Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. This was two months after
Appomattox, but it was nearly two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation
Proclamation, which had become official January 1, 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation had had little
impact on Texas due to the limited number of Union troops able to enforce the new Executive Order.
However, with the surrender of General Lee in April of 1865, and the arrival of General Granger’s
regiment, Union forces were finally strong enough to overcome resistance.
There are several explanations for the two and a half year delay in the receipt of this important news. One
is the story of a messenger who was murdered on his way to Texas with the news of freedom. Another is
that news was deliberately withheld by the enslavers to maintain the labor force on the plantations. Yet
another is that federal troops had waited for slave owners to reap the benefits of one last cotton
harvest before going to Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation. All or none of these versions
could be true. Certainly, for some, President Lincoln's authority over the rebellious states was in
question. Regardless, conditions in Texas had remained “status quo” long after Emancipation. But at least
the Civil War was over.
General Granger read General Order Number 3 in Galveston: "The people of Texas are informed that in
accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of
rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that
between employer and free laborer."
Juneteenth’s mission is to promote and cultivate knowledge and appreciation of African American
history and culture. Juneteenth today celebrates African American freedom and achievement, while
encouraging continuous self-development and respect for all cultures. As it takes on a more national,
symbolic, and even global perspective, the events of 1865 in Texas are not forgotten. A national day of
pride is growing.

Visit Juneteenth.com for more on this legacy American holiday.

                                 The History of Villa LewaroTM
Villa LewaroTM was built by Madam C. J. Walker over a two-year period beginning in 1916. Madam Walker
is the first known American female—and first African-American female—self-made millionaire. The mansion

is an Italianate villa house designed for Madam by Vertner Tandy, the first registered African-American
architect, who considered it to be one of his greatest works. Furnished lavishly, at a cost exceeding $250,000,
the estate was devised by Madam to be in a prominent position on Albany Post Road in order for New York
City legislators on their way to the state capital to understand the significance of successful African-American
citizens fifty years after the end of the Civil War. The name Villa Lewaro was coined by the
distinguished Enrico Caruso, a friend of Madam’s, using the first two letters of each word in Lelia Walker
Robinson, Madam’s daughter. The home was used as a conference center on race-relations issues. After
Madam died on these grounds, in 1919, the house eventually became the Anne E. Poth Home for
Convalescent and Aged Members of the Companions of the Forest in America, and a National Historic
Landmark in 1976.
In 1993, Villa Lewaro was purchased by Ambassador Harold E. Doley, founder of Doley Securities, LLC, the
oldest African-American-owned and operated investment banking firm in the United States. Doley has begun
converting the residence into a museum. In May 2014, the National Trust for Historic Preservation began a
project with the active support of Ambassador Doley to aid in determining its best legacy for African-
Americans.

                       Our menu today is prepared by
     Executive Chef Robert Crawford of Noel’s Kitchen (New York City)
 With contributions from Helena and Harold Doley (Louisiana and Irvington)
                                   Cajun Jambalaya prepared by Chef Robert
                                     Dirty rice mix prepared by Chef Robert
                                             Cajun Pork Boudin Balls
                                  Red beans & rice prepared by Harold Doley
                                    Shrimp & grits prepared by Chef Robert
                                          Cajun Gumbo by Chef Robert
                                 Puffed local potatoes prepared by Chef Robert
                                     Potato salad prepared by Helena Doley
                                     Green salad prepared by Helena Doley
                                      Pureed sweet potatoes by Chef Robert
                                         Mac and cheese by Chef Robert
                                               Ribs by Chef Robert
                                Wings with Cajun sauce prepared by Chef Robert
                          Turducken sliced by Chef Robert on pistolettes with gravy sauce
                                Lemonade and Sweet tea prepared by Chef Robert

Noel's Kitchen
is a full service caterer serving the New York area
Chef Robert D.A. Crawford
Executive Chef
646-571-5670
www.noelscateringkichen.com
Visit us on Facebook, Yelp, and Twitter

VILLA LEWARO FOUNTAINS

WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE CONTRIBUTION OF HERITAGE
LINK BRANDS AND PRESIDENT & CEO SELENA CUFFE!

HERITAGE LINK BRANDS IS THE NATION’S LARGEST AFRICAN-AMERICAN OWNED
IMPORTER OF FINE WINES. The seeds of Heritage Link Brands were first planted in South Africa at the
first annual Soweto Wine Festival in 2005. More than 500 wines from 86 producers were showcased in Soweto,
formerly the spiritual center of the anti-apartheid struggle.
The founders were inspired to create Heritage Link Brands after learning at the Soweto Wine Festival that people
of color were grossly underrepresented within the country's and global wine industry. Today the company is the
largest marketer of black-produced wine from Africa in the United States.

The Heritage Link Brands portfolio of award‐winning wines from around the world is available online, and in
stores and restaurants nationwide.