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 mix. There are three ways AAHH fulfills its mission:
It (1) provides a forum for engaging issues of justice, peace, and faith, (2) establishes a platform
for building relationships and community, and (3) serves as a refuge for spiritual, intellectual, and personal renewal. The AAHH hosts conversations, lecture series, and film festivals, as well as creates training and experimental learning opportunities to provide participants with the will and skill to use their sphere of influence to promote peace and advocate for justice. The AAHH sponsors social events with themes that will aid in cross- cultural learning and serve as a venue to catalyze collaboration on issues that are important to and extend beyond the Chautauqua community. WHO SHOULD CHOOSE THE AAHH? Everyone who is seeking an experience that will provide resources and catalyze connections to strengthen their capacity in the work of service toward peace and social justice. Here you will…
-Have ready access to an affinity group in which you can share, learn, and find support.
-Network and build relationships with other leaders who share common interests in the work of peace and social justice.
-Take the opportunity to focus on your own growth and development.
-Gain knowledge, tools, and ideas that are useful in your work, and be exposed to the greater Chautauqua community, which includes:
People
-Worldwide experts on compelling issues of domestic and global concern
-Passionate, caring, smart, and innovative citizens from across the country and around the world
-Place : Chautauqua Institution
-750 acre campus on Chautauqua Lake in Southwestern New York State
-World class arts venue featuring dance, theater, music
-Recreation facilities both indoor and outdoor
An Invitation
The AAHH will provide participants with a holistic experience that satisfies and stimulates intellectual curiosity, catalyzes new relationships, and makes way for personal renewal – all of which add value to vocational, civic, community, and personal leadership endeavors. AAHH will enrich the Chautauqua experience by adding new dimensions to its already rich programmatic offerings and by expanding Chautauqua’s demographic diversity that reflects changes and trends in the United States and the global community. It is imperative that the AAHH enlists and receives the broad support of African-American leaders, other community leaders, and members of the larger Chautauqua community who will invest in Chautauqua’s future. Our Vision
AAHH will contribute to a more vibrant Chautauqua community and enrich the Chautauqua (CHQ) community through the inclusion of African American history, culture, and the contributions of African Americans intellectuals. AAHH values the unique and special environment at CHQ, and believes CHQ must “keep up with the times” on diversity. As demographics shift in the US, and the country becomes increasingly diverse, we believe CHQ must evolve. AAHH wants Chautauqua to become an environment where “We (African Americans) can come and not feel like a novelty.” We believe the community can and should become more welcoming for African Americans. We want a place for important conversations for African Americans and among African Americans, especially. Our Mission
The African American Heritage House will contribute to make Chautauqua a more vibrant community, to help African Americans feel more welcome at CHQ and to facilitate conversations with African Americans to help create a more diverse, equitable and inclusive environment. AAHH carries out its mission in the following ways:
-Education: provides forums for engaging issues of justice, peace and faith by hosting conversations, lecture series and film festivals, as well as creating training and experiential learning opportunities to provide participants with the will and skill to use their sphere of influence to promote peace and advocate for justice,
-Community Building: establishes a platform for building relationships by creating space for intentional learning and coexisting together, and
-Personal Growth: serves as a refuge for personal renewal by promoting reflection, retreat and physical recreation. Our Values
-the ideals of justice and equity — we seek to be, both in organizational culture and our work in the world, led by fairness in the negotiation of power
-respect of differences — we maintain that different does not mean deficient and accept the multiple identities (race, gender, class, sexuality, ability, religious, etc.) we all hold
-mutuality in relationships — we seek to enable the gifts, passion and interests of all involved in our work, and make space for all voices to be heard
-the free exchange of knowledge, ideas and experiences — we are committed to discovering the lessons of our shared history and continuing to learn together as a means to personal growth
-ecumenism and interfaith cooperation — we welcome the ways multiple faith and belief systems can serve as repositories of practical wisdom for our work
-creativity — we welcome and celebrate a variety of expressive forms including artistic, spiritual, intellectual and institutional traditions and innovations
-transparency and authenticity — we seek to be clear and forthright in the goals and objectives of our work, and in the process of fulfilling our mission
