Thousands in Santa Ana Celebrate Black History

Thousands of Orange County revelers from all ethnic backgrounds lined Santa Ana’s streets Saturday as giant floats, clowns and school drill teams danced and twirled their way through downtown to watch the Black History Parade.

This year’s grand marshal, former world heavyweight champion Ken Norton, led more than 3,000 people along the 1 1/2-mile route to the Santa Ana Courthouse, where the smell of barbecuing ribs and sizzling hot dogs filled the air.

Tents offering everything from stories of African American heroism to advice on quitting smoking crammed the courthouse parking lot. Thousands more families--among them blacks, whites, Asians and Latinos--spent the afternoon gazing at art and listening to live jazz and reggae music, making the festival’s “Diversity is our destiny” theme a reality.

“Look at this group. I love it!” cried Wayne Snyder, co-chairman of the Mission With Benevolence foundation, which organizes the event. “It’s like inviting everyone to a party, and having them come to celebrate African American culture.”

African Americans make up less than 2% of county residents, making it easy for the population to be overlooked. A flier passed around at the festival to advertise a local hair salon acknowledged the problem, boasting that “the numbers of African Americans in Orange County may be low, but their standards are high.”

It’s easy to lose touch with one’s cultural roots in such an environment, said Tandra Quarles, an administrative assistant who moved recently with her family to Irvine. Quarles stood watching classic cars crawl in front of the courthouse as three of her four daughters scampered playfully nearby.

“We bring them here every year,” she said, “so they can see that there are a lot of other black kids in Orange County and to learn about their culture.”

Her 9-year-old, Shymira, said she appreciated the gesture.

“I get to be with my family and see different people, from different cultures,” she said.

“This year,” her mother noted, “I see the Vietnamese and the Koreans here. It’s really nice.”

The parade has come a long way since its first appearance in 1980, when the route stretched just one block.

The event grew steadily until the 1990s, when a lack of funding and sponsorship forced its cancellation for two years.

But the Mission With Benevolence foundation, a Santa Ana-based nonprofit group, stepped in and raised enough money to revive the parade in 1994. Since then, the festival has bloomed, attracting people from across the county.

Organizers estimated that nearly 10,000 people would visit the parade and fair by the end of the day.

“It seems more inclusive than in the past,” said Peggie Hurd of Fullerton, just as the 2 1/2-hour parade wound down. “It’s important that our history is shared.”