Black History Parade and Unity Festival returns to Orange County after two years

Harry Sidhu, mayor of Anaheim, announces a series of proclamations at the 42nd Orange County Black History Parade and Unity Festival. Photo courtesy of Vivienne Ayres and Lauren Thorburn

West Center Street Promenade of Anaheim, Calif. was lined with stalls from an assortment of vendors and organizations as attendees of all ages congregated in celebration of Black culture —  from a toddler escaping his mother’s grasp to an elderly woman on a mobility scooter. 

An outside glimpse at the festivities of the 42nd Orange County Black History Parade and Unity Festival might reveal a dance team clad in purple or a woman in a pink gown and plastic crown as a girl on roller-skates speeds by with her dog. It was like a “family reunion,” according to event speaker Dr. Bernice Rumala, especially given that the gathering had been canceled due to COVID-19 concerns for the last two years.

“It really takes us standing as part of one voice to fight the inequities toward a brighter future, because when one of us thrives, then all of us thrives,” Rumala told The Panther. “But then when there are issues, and we’re not surviving on a day-to-day basis, it impacts everyone — not just locally and nationally, but also globally. We’ve seen that very clearly in this pandemic.”

The Feb. 5 event was organized by the Orange County Heritage Council and centered around the theme “Our Heritage: Reflecting, Advancing, Uniting.” 

“We don’t want to romanticize Black history,” Santa Ana city council member Johnathan Hernandez said at the event. “We don’t want to just say that Black history starts with slavery and segregation. We want to acknowledge the beautiful roots that have inspired people like me to engage in such a dangerous fight to bring people of color together.”

Comedians and singers performed at the three stages located within the festival, with comedian Dexter Smiles hosting the main “Freedom Stage.” Live performances included comedian Memphis Will and singers Aloe Blacc, Matthew Santos and Alexander James Rodriguez. 

The festivities kicked off at noon on “Freedom Stage” with an opening prayer from Ivan S. Pitts, the pastor for the Second Baptist Church in Santa Ana.

“God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, we thank you so much for this day and what it means,” Pitts began. “I pray that you will bind this community together with cords that cannot be broken.”

The prayer was followed by comments from prominent figures like Hernandez, Grammy Award-nominated R&B singer-songwriter Kenny Lattimore and Anaheim mayor Harry Sidhu. Irvine mayor Farrah Khan and Santa Ana mayor Vicente Sarmiento later spoke at the event as well.

Hernandez announced to the crowd that Santa Ana would have its own Juneteenth celebration in Centennial Park June 18, becoming the first city in Orange County to have a city-funded Juneteenth celebration. Hernandez told The Panther the city funded $75,000 for the event.

“When the first meeting occurred with the Orange County Heritage Council with staff, I made sure to sit in that meeting and to make it very clear that, if the direction of this event is not led by Black folk, there is no place for dialogue in discussing what this event looks like, what the event vendors look like and where this event should take place,” Hernandez said in an interview with The Panther. 

He also announced that Santa Ana’s city council had recently voted to change the names of two streets: South Pacific Avenue and West Walnut Street will become Mr. Bussey Lane, named after resident Warren Bussey who recently turned 108-years-old. Willis Street will become Shipp Way in honor of Helen Shipp, the founder of the Orange County Black History Parade & Cultural Faire. Shipp Way has four stop signs, and that area will be referred to as Black History (BH) Square.

After Hernandez’s announcements, Sidhu gave out proclamations from the city of Anaheim to the five parade division marshals in recognition of their contributions to the community.

TMZ celebrity news reporter Loren LoRosa and Tao Bo exercise program creator Billy Blanks received their proclamations, along with Queen Theresa King, the founder of the Eradicate the Hate nonprofit organization and Fredia Gibbs, a former professional martial artist and kickboxer who was known as “The Most Dangerous Woman in the World.” Rich Wallace, the president of the Southern California Black Chamber of Commerce, was the final recipient.

For more on the Orange County Black History Parade and Unity Festival, check out The Panther’s most recent video.