Celebrating and Learning History of African Americans

Nur Kiser said she brought her teen-age daughter to the black history celebration here Saturday to help her learn about another culture. Victoria Romano took her children, she said, so they would not forget their own.

“Each generation loses a little bit of its heritage as we become more Americanized,” said Romano, a Huntington Beach resident. “That’s with any ethnic group. This is one way to keep it alive.”

At the Tustin Community Center on Saturday, the two families joined a small but enthusiastic crowd that munched on hot dogs and listened to rap, hip-hop and other music in the Orange County Black History Committee’s annual celebration of African American heritage.

Helen Shipp, the committee president who has helped organize the event for the past 16 years, said it is a time to celebrate African American heritage and have a good time.

“It’s like a family reunion because a lot of time we’d see people we haven’t seen for years,” she said.

Kiser, 50, who emigrated from Turkey 30 years ago, said she was glad of the chance to learn about African American culture and history. “There’s so much we should know, should learn,” she said.

The Santa Ana woman said she was shocked to see racial tensions exploding between blacks and whites upon her arrival in the United States. Kiser said she hopes her daughter will learn to appreciate people of different ethnicities, in part by attending events like Saturday’s.

“I hope to gain more sense of unity,” said her daughter, Ayla, 16. “An understanding of another culture. And a feeling that I can say I know something about black history.”

For many African-Americans at the event, though, the celebration of their heritage continues throughout the year.

“I celebrate black history every day,” said Tiesh Bentley, 17, of Corona. “A lot of young people don’t think about their history anymore. Having Black History Month is good for those who have forgotten their past.”