OUR MISSION

The phrase “Sema Hadithi” means to “tell the story”.

Sema Hadithi African American Heritage and Culture Foundation strives to “tell the story” of African-ancestored history, heritage, and culture by researching, preserving and disseminating information throughout the community.

By sharing the story of African ancestral families we help to tell the whole story of Utah.

Our Goal

Our primary goals are to promote scholarly research, provide resources for historical studies, and create a network of persons with similar interests. We seek to assist interested parties in documenting Black history in Utah and the Mountain West. We wish to ensure that the community receives this important historical information.

Our Partners

We embrace the diversity of friends, organizations, state and local offices, and corporate entities who wish to work with us to create a space where we can work and share. Working with these partners we hope to create a community of unity through historical truth, honesty in truth, cultural acceptance, respect of heritage, and the fostering of safe spaces to share.

Jami Van Huss

Director of Institutional Development

Kirk Huffaker

Managing Director

  • Robert Burch

    Kirk Huffaker

    Barnard Silver

    Alice Faulkner-Burch

    James Brown

    Jami Van Huss

    Michika Burch

    Shavauna Munster

    Victoria Kargbo

  • Alana Blumenthal, Brigham City Museums

    Douglas Misner, State History Liaison, Utah Historical Society

    W. Paul Reeve, UofU Simmons Chair of Mormon History

    James Tabery, UofU Department of Philosophy and Department of Internal Medicine

    Joseph Stuart, Assistant Professor History Brigham Young University

    Barbara Jones Brown, Directory, Signature Books

    Adrienne Scott-Ellis, Sowing Seeds of Change

    Rachel Quist, Rachel’s SLC History

    Ronnie Pessetto, Salt Lake Public Lands

    Cassie Clark, Assistant Professor of History, Utah Tech University

    Christine Cooper-Rompato, English Professor; Sigma Tau Delta Logan Advisor, Utah State University

    Emily Crumpton-Deason, Emily Marie (Peck) Crumpton-Deason, History Consultant at Latter-day Saint Church History Library

    Marlena Smtih-Wilder, Artist

    Ramesus Stewart-Johnson, Owner, Papa Stew’s Kitchen

    Jacob Zornes, CPA, CFO, RET Ventures

    Amanda Zornes, Paraeducator

    Patrick Q. Mason, Professor of Religious Studies and History, Leonard J. Arrington Chair of Mormon History and Culture, Utah State University

  • Buffalo Soldiers Working Group

    Ramesus Stewart-Johnson - Team Leader

    Reilly Jensen

    Adrienne Scott-Ellis

    A. Jerome Christophe

    Matthew Tracy

    Preservation Working Group

    Kirk Huffaker - Team Leader

    W. Paul Reeve

    James Tabery

    Ronnie Pessetto

    Black Church Working Group

    TBD

    Settler Working Group

    Emily Crumpton-Deason

    Black Enclave / Salt Lake City

    Rachel Quist - Team Leader

    Emily Crumpton-Deason

    Black Women Working Group

    Tiffany Greene - Team Leader

    Adrienne Scott-Ellis

    Rachel Quist

    Oral History Working Group

    Alice Faulkner Burch, Team Leader

Robert S. Burch Jr.

Executive Director

Leadership