43rd annual Orange County Black History Parade & Unity Fair a source of pride in Anaheim
Last weekend marked the 11th year Anaheim has hosted the Orange County Black History Parade & Unity Fair and the 43rd year of the parade as a whole.
It was a milestone parade director Shedrick Collins admitted he was proud to see the parade reach.
“We were really concerned because last year was our first year back from COVID,” said Collins. “We were uncertain how the public would respond to a big parade and gathering.”
Collins was encouraged by the turnout on Feb. 4.
“I think this year was, if not the largest, in the top two or three largest events that we have ever had,” Collins said. “A lot of people come back every year. A lot of people fly in from out of state. That is the importance and significance that it has in Black culture.”
Despite challenges the parade has faced through the years, the event is among the most important cultural events in the county.
“The sense of community and togetherness of this event is amazing. It is a big part of the rich diversity and excitement of Anaheim,” said Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken.
The parade did not always call Anaheim home, however.
“The Black history parade started back in 1980,” said Collins. “The founding member was the honorable Helen Shipp, native of Santa Ana.”
Shipp reached out to local businesses, churches and veterans to organize the first parade.
“It was a way to pay homage to the Black community, to uplift the community,” said Collins.
The first parade was attended mostly by Shipp’s friends and neighbors in the city of Santa Ana, where the parade was held for 30 years. The event grew through the years, and soon Santa Ana was no longer able to help subsidize the costs of the event.
The Orange County Heritage Council, a volunteer nonprofit established in 2008 that promotes cultural awareness and the historical contributions of Black people in Orange County, took over the event.
“When we left Santa Ana, we found our new home in Anaheim,” Collins said. “Anaheim welcomed us with open arms, as far as city resources.”
Anaheim has hosted the parade since 2012. In 2015, the Disneyland Resort sent a performer as Tiana from “The Princess and the Frog” to the parade. The character was not only the first Black princess featured in a Disney animated film when it hit theaters in 2009 but also the first Disney character to appear in the Black History Parade.
Led by Grand Marshal Adai Lamar of 102.3 Radio Free KJLH and local host of the “Steve Harvey Morning Show,” the parade moved from Pearson Park on Lemon Street onto Lincoln Avenue, then to Anaheim Boulevard and south to Water Street for about half a mile.
The procession included marching bands, dance teams, double Dutch squads, community groups and exotic cars.
The Unity Fair began after the parade along Center Street Promenade and featured arts and crafts, games and a college fair and health village that offered basic screening services. Performance stages hosted live music and DJs, while a culture stage hosted guest speakers, artists and Black history discussions.
While the Black History Parade & Unity Fair was created to celebrate O.C.’s Black community, Collins emphasized that the event is for everyone.
“It is our month to celebrate us, but you know it’s like Chinese New Year, right? It isn’t indicative of saying no one else can celebrate it ... but is honoring ourselves and our culture.”
Aitken agrees.
“No matter your background, people come and have fun and celebrate African American culture and contributions. And while we continue to see challenges, as our nation has recently, events like this bring people together for the better,” Aitken said.
That sentiment is partly why Collins said he felt a strong sense of pride at this year’s event.
“I was really taken aback, standing there on the stage and looking out at the sea of people,” said Collins. “Wow, look what we created.”
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