Telling the Story

Black History Month continues to be observed at events across the San Fernando Valley. The story of African Americans’ contributions to society is being told through films, concerts, art exhibits and lecture series. At Cal State Northridge on Tuesday, author Marcia Sawyer will discuss African American and Native American relations and each group’s role in shaping America.

About the Journey

Also at CSUN, Pan-African Studies Chairman David L. Horne (above) will lead a discussion this Saturday at noon at the Black Student Union about the 1839 slave rebellion aboard the ship “La Amistad.”

Property Rights

The African American presence in Los Angeles can be traced to 1781, when the area was settled by an ethnically mixed group from Mexico. Biddy Mason, an escaped slave, built on the legacy by becoming a major California real estate owner in the late 19th century. Later, architect Paul R. Williams designed such landmarks as the theme building at LAX and the U.S. Navy installation at Long Beach.

Making a Mark

The California African-American Museum in Exposition Park showcases the innovations of black inventors in “Engineering Change: The World of the African-American Inventor.” The exhibit tells of Lewis Lattimar, the electrical engineer who patented the light bulb, and Henrietta Bradbury, the scientist who perfected a torpedo discharge device, among others.