The Quonset Hut above is the only remaining footprint that has significant historical value for preservation restoration to share with future generations. Keeping tract of the footprints about people of African descent in Hawaii and WWII Pacific Theater are an integral part of the work that the Obama Hawaiian Africana Museum dba AADCCH, the ‘keepers of history’ must document and archive this history to educate preK-12 students, community, and visitor. Its our obligation and kuleana to anchor this history for future generations.
The University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources owned the property in Pearl City Oahu Urban Garden. Although the University of Hawaii supported the Nomination to the National Register of Historic Places for its significance, they also requested for the facility to be demolished. The Obama Museum board of directors highly recommend that President Lassner resend that recommendation. The board of directors are willing to seek federal funding to restore the structure upon administrtion’s approval of a MOU with the Obama Museum. The process is pending.
WORLD WAR II HISTORY IN HAWAII
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Among the approximately 20,000 civil defense workers, there were 600 African Americans men and women who were sent by the Department of Defense to rebuild the Naval Yard. Ernest Golden, age 19 at the time was among this group. Blacks lived in segregated housing CHA 3, three streets beginning at the present site: Trinity Missionary Baptist Church in Ohana Nui Circle (sandwiched between Pearl Harbor housing and Hickam Airforce Base off Nimitz Highway back of Honolulu International Airport). Black military men lived in Quonset huts an area at Manana Barracks. Before CHA 3 was built, some civilian defense workers were housed in the old Kamehameha High School dormitories in the Kalihi area near Ft. Shafter.
Mahalo Nui Loa for Your Kokua!
Board of Directors