Scenes of Liberation

You don’t have to go to the DuSable Museum of African American History in Chicago or the Martin Luther King Jr. Center in Atlanta to learn about black Americans’ role in the nation’s history.

During Black History Month, you can drive around the San Fernando Valley and northern Los Angeles county to find African American historical points of interest. Here are a few suggested sites and events:

* VAL VERDE--Barred from beaches, parks and other attractions because of the color of their skin, black Angelenos founded the community of Val Verde in 1924 as both a resort town and a refuge from racism.

For a photographic retrospective of the town’s African American heritage, visitors can stop in at Val Verde Park, 30300 Arlington St., Val Verde. For information, call the Parks and Recreation Department at (805) 257-4014.

In its heyday, the “black Palm Springs” was home to some 750 year-round families and drew thousands more summer residents. Oscar-winning actress Hattie McDaniel, actor James Earl Jones and singer Florence LaRue of the Fifth Dimension all spent time there.

Val Verde’s prominence in black society began to fade in the 1950s and ‘60s as hard-fought battles against discrimination opened doors at other recreational areas.

* CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE--To commemorate Black History Month, CSUN’s Pan-African Studies Department has planned events throughout this month; this is just a sampling of the activities. On Saturday, the department will host a daylong African American Film Festival with Dr. Mamie Clayton of the Black Resource Library from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Shoshone Room, University Student Union. On Monday, a CSUN Gospel Choir Concert will be held at 7 p.m. in the Shoshone Room. And on Wednesday, there will be an African American Folklore Showcase and Zora Neale Hurston Retrospective at 7 p.m. in the Studio Theater in the University Student Union. For information, call (818) 677-3311.

Like campuses across the nation, CSUN was the scene of several student protests against racism in 1968 and 1969.

On Nov. 4, 1968, Black Student Union members held 34 staff and administrators hostage in the Administration Building until President Paul Blomgren agreed to increase minority enrollment and staff, and investigate racism complaints.

Then on Jan. 8, 1969, hundreds of students marched to the Administration Building to see newly appointed President Delmar Oviatt, but were met at the doors by riot police.

Negotiations between administration and students eventually resulted in the creation of a Pan-African Studies Department.

* CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH AND HILLERY T. BROADOUS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL--These two sites are part of the legacy of the Broadous family that has addressed the spiritual and social needs of northeast Valley residents for generations.

The Broadous family’s presence in the Valley dates back to the mid-1940s, when the Rev. Hillery T. Broadous and his wife, Rosa, moved to Pacoima. The Broadouses became founding members of the NAACP’s Valley branch. Today, their son, the Rev. Zedar Broadous, is president of the branch, which pushed the LAPD to ban the use of motorized battering rams, and fought for and won a moratorium on the use of chokeholds.

On Sunday mornings, four generations of Broadouses can be found worshiping at Calvary Baptist Church, 12928 Vaughn St. in San Fernando, the church Hillery Broadous founded in 1955. The school named in his honor is at 12561 Filmore St. in Pacoima.

* THE NEW CHRIST MEMORIAL CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST--Composer-singer-pastor Andrae Crouch is one of the most influential and successful gospel music artists of his generation. The lifelong Valley resident began playing the piano and singing at age 11, performing at the New Christ Memorial Church of God in Christ, the Pentecostal congregation at 13333 Vaughn St. in Pacoima founded by his father, Bishop Benjamin Crouch.

Last year, Crouch defied his denomination’s policy against the ordination of women pastors when he made his twin sister, Sandra, co-pastor of the 800-member congregation. Both twins are Grammy-award winning singers.