September Lunch and Learn: The Gilded Age: Black Aristocracy
September Lunch and Learn: The Gilded Age: Black Aristocracy
Join the Huntington Historical Society for a delicious lunch and an informative presentation from Dr. Denice Evans Sheppard, Executive Director of the Oyster Bay Historical Society for a presentation on the Gilded Age: Black Aristocracy.
She will discuss the Black Elite 1880-1920 and what it meant to be part of high society.
Only a few years after Emancipation, the Gilded Age also ushered in the new Black elite, also known as “the colored aristocracy,” “black 400,” ‘upper tens,” and “best society,” as noted by Willard B. Gatewood in his book, Aristocrats of Color: The Black Elite, 1880-1920. In spite of the popularity of books such as Our Kind of People: Inside America’s Black Upper Class, Black high society in the 19th century is still an understudied piece of American history.
To be part of the Black elite meant not only wealth, but also education, influence, and political connections. Members of this small community attended schools such as Oberlin, Fisk, Harvard, and Yale. They were doctors, educators, entrepreneurs, and belonged to exclusive social organizations such as “The Social Circle”.
Meal includes gourmet two-course meal and dessert. Cash bar available.
Thursday, September 25, 2025
12:00 PM-2:30 PM
Cefalu Ristorante & Pizzeria
138 E. Main Street
Huntington, NY
