Anaheim celebrates Black History Month with downtown parade and street fair
ANAHEIM, Calif. (Feb. 2, 2016) – The streets of downtown Anaheim will be filled with African-American pride and celebration on Feb. 6 as the 36th annual Orange County Black History Month Parade & Faire comes to town.
Some 8,000 people and 100 groups are expected to come together for the event, which kicks off Black History Month and recognizes the contributions of African-Americans to Anaheim, Orange County and our nation. Click here for a video preview.
“Anaheim is proud to host and sponsor Orange County’s only Black History Month parade,” Mayor Tom Tait said. “Each year, the parade brings thousands of people together to celebrate African-American culture and to enjoy great food, entertainment and family fun. The sense of community behind this event is an inspiration to our city.”
The free event runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The parade, which starts at 10 a.m. and runs down Anaheim Boulevard, includes marching bands, parade vehicles and horseback riders.
The parade concludes at Center Street Promenade, where it joins a cultural street fair with a music festival, food vendors, retailers, information booths, a Black History exhibit, college expo and health screenings.
Actress Kellita Smith of Syfy’s zombie series “Z Nation” and “The Bernie Mac Show” serves as the parade’s grand marshal.
Radio personalities Tyrone DuBose of Timeless Traxx and Adai Lamar of 102.3 KJLH serve as parade announcers.
Other celebrity guests include Patrick Faucette and Jerome Ro Brooks of Tyler Perry’s “The Haves and Have Nots,” Paula Jai Parker of “Hollywood Divas,” Liana Mendoza of “American Horror Story,” Tonya Reneé Banks of “Little Women LA” and Kiki Shepard of “Showtime at the Apollo.”
Star athletes include world kickboxing champion Fredia “The Cheetah” Gibbs, Olympic track champion Mark Crear, onetime NASCAR racer Felix Giles and former NBA players Keyon Dooling and Juaquin Hawkins.
Elected officials, community and education groups, sororities, fraternities and churches also will be on hand, including:
100 Black Men of Orange County
Blacks In Government, Orange County Chapter
Black Professionals of Orange County
Faith Deliverance Apostolic Church
Friendship Baptist Church
Johnson Chapel AME Church
OC Learning Black History
New Covenant Church of Orange County
New Hope Presbyterian Church
New Spirit Baptist Church
National Pan-Hellenic Council
REACH Community Church
Second Baptist Church
Sonrise Community Christian Church
NAACP, Orange County/Santa Ana Branch
National Council of Negro Women Inc., Orange County Section
Vanguard University Black Student Union
Prince Hall Masons, Wiley L. Kimbrough Lodge No. 91
2016 marks Anaheim’s sixth year hosting the parade, which is open to people of all ages and backgrounds.
The parade and fair is organized by the Orange County Heritage Council, avolunteer-driven nonprofit that promotes cultural awareness and the historical contributions of blacks in Orange County and across the nation.
For more, please visit the Orange County Heritage Council at OC-HC.org.
For more information on the city of Anaheim, please visit Anaheim.net.
ABOUT ANAHEIM -The City of Anaheim, founded in 1857, is one of the nation’s premier municipalities and is one of California’s most populous cities. Anaheim covers 50 square miles with more than 351,000 residents and more than 2,900 City employees. The municipal corporation’s annual budget is $1.7 billion. Anaheim supports a thriving business community with companies such as: Carl Karcher Enterprises, Inc.; L-3 Communications; Pacific Sunwear; and Disneyland Resort. Successful sports franchises call Anaheim home, including: Angels Baseball; Anaheim Ducks; the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team, and the 2012 Olympic Games Silver Medal winning U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team. Anaheim also boasts world-class meeting and entertainment venues with: The Anaheim Convention Center, LEED-certified and the largest on the west coast; Honda Center; City National Grove of Anaheim; Anaheim GardenWalk; Angel Stadium of Anaheim; and ARTIC (Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center). In addition, Anaheim embraces its vibrant cultural arts community, including the world-renowned Anaheim Ballet. Annually, Anaheim welcomes more than 25 million visitors to the City, truly making it where the world comes to live, work and play. For more information, please visit www.anaheim.net.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Ruth Ruiz, Public Information Officer, City of Anaheim
(714) 765-5060 office, (714) 420-7797 mobile