Santa Barbara County Celebrates Black History
In celebration of the historical achievements of Black/African American’s for our country, Black/African-American led organizations continue the tradition of coming together to provide events for Black History Month (BHM) in February and year-round in Santa Barbara County. The 2022 theme of Black Joy & Legacy Through Family Health & Safety connects the events to uplifting the joy, accomplishments, challenges, and successes of local Black/African-American individuals.
“Black History Month celebrates the resilience and triumph of Black people, and this year we focus on the contributions Black people have made to every aspect of life in Santa Barbara County,” said Connie Alexander of Gateway Educational Services.
Events in 2022 will be mostly virtual (online) with a handful in-person to accommodate guests’ comfort level as we continue to navigate COVID-19 and the recent rise in cases. All organizations strive to be in-person but understand the necessity to provide an array of options for guests to participate and celebrate. Community organizations include Healing Justice Santa Barbara, UCSB Multicultural Center (MCC), UCSB Hosford – The Healing Space, Gateway Educational Services, Santa Barbara Young Black Professionals, Santa Barbara Black Culture House, Coffee with a Black Guy, Endowment for Youth Committee, African American Women in Santa Barbara County, Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee of Santa Barbara, and Juneteenth Santa Barbara – which coordinates with all organizations.
“It is imperative that we work together to show our collective impact on our region in February but also year round,” said Jordan Killebrew, community organizer and co-founder of Juneteenth Santa Barbara. “This year we have organizations planning events for the month of February but also will extend to March, April, May, of course Juneteenth, and beyond.”
Government Recognition
The County of Santa Barbara, cities in Santa Barbara County, and school boards across the county have scheduled official acknowledgments of Black History Month in February 2022.
- City of Carpinteria Proclamation – January 24, 5:30 pm – view here
- Santa Barbara Unified School District Resolution – January 25, 6:30 pm – view here
- County of Santa Barbara Resolution – February 1st, 9 am – view here
- City of Lompoc Proclamation – February 1st, 6:30 pm – view here
- City of Santa Barbara Proclamation – February 8th, 2pm – view here
- City of Santa Maria Proclamation, February 15, 5:30 pm – more information
- City of Goleta Proclamation, TBD
Community Events
The community-at-large is welcome to come and enjoy the events listed below (events details will be updated throughout the month of February):
Open All February (in-person)
Santa Barbara Black History Month Historical Museum & Melanin Gallery (Healing Justice Santa Barbara)
Open all February at Melanin, 833 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Santa Barbara Public Library – Black History Month display
Open all February at Santa Barbara Public Library, 40 East Anapamu, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Santa Maria Black History Month display (NAACP, Santa Maria – Lompoc)
Open all February at Santa Maria Public Library, 421 S McClelland St, Santa Maria, CA 93454
January 24 – February 5 (online)
NAACP Santa Barbara Branch Membership Drive | become a member
Select Santa Barbara Unit # 1070, select your membership type and complete the membership form. Send your confirmation receipt to Regina Crawford at crawford@naacp-venturacounty.org.
February 2, 9, 16, 23 (online)
Voices of Liberation (Healing Justice Santa Barbara) | FREE – register now
Wednesdays in February at 7 pm on TVSB and HJSB.org
February 3 (online)
Tawengwa Tanyaradzwa, Etienne Charles, and Gerson Lazo-Quiroga (UCSB MCC) | FREE – event link
7 pm, online performance screening and Q&A
February 5, 12, 19, 26 (online)
Chocolate Baby Storytime (Healing Justice Santa Barbara) | FREE – register now
Saturdays in February at 9 am on TVSB and HJSB.org
February 7 (online)
Racism in Policing on Campuses (UCSB MCC) | FREE – event link
6 pm, the panel includes Charmaine Chua, Dylan Rodriguez, Krystle Farmer Sieghart, Kavya Suresh, with moderator Geo Lucero
February 15 (online)
Radical Self Love as Transformative Activism with Sonya Renee Taylor (UCSB MCC & The A.S. Black Women’s Health Collaborative) | Free – register now | 6 pm
February 16 (online)
Rafiki, film screening (UCSB MCC) | Free – event link | 6 pm
February 17 (online)
Prioritizing the Preservation of Black Legacies in Santa Barbara (Healing Justice Santa Barbara) | By donation – register now
6-9 pm live stream of film screening and panel
February 19 (in-person)
Xtreme Hip-Hop Fitness Event (Healing Justice Santa Barbara) | $40 – purchase tickets
10 am & 11 am at Santa Barbara Dance Arts, 531 East Cota Street, Santa Barbra, CA 93103
February 20 (online)
Supporting Loved Ones in Crisis: The Black Perspective (UCSB Healing Space & Healing Justice Santa Barbara) | Free – register now
11 am – 12:30 pm, event host Tamara Cummings, M.A., Ed.S., NCSP, and Jazzmyn Ward, M.A.
February 20 (in-person)
Santa Barbara Black/African American History Trolly (Healing Justice Santa Barbara)
12 pm & 2 pm – more details to come
February 24 (online)
Coffee With A Black Guy — A community conversation, Reparations 101 | Free
6 pm Panelists and special guests TBA, registration will be at com
February 25 (in-person)
Open Mic Night, MC Vivian Storm (UCSB MCC and UCSB RCSGD) | Free
7:30 pm at Biko House, 6600 Sueno Road, Isla Vista, CA 93117
February 26 (online)
Virtual College Fair : Historical Black Colleges(Gateway Educational Services) | Free Event grades 6-12 and Community College Students
10:00 am – 12 pm – contact info@gatewayeducationalservices.org
February 26 (online)
9th Annual Social Justice Conference: Revitalizing Community in a Changing World (UCSB MCC) | Free – event link
8 am conference
About the Community Organizations
African American Women in Santa Barbara County – African American Women in Santa Barbara is an effort for a luncheon to provide a space and a place for African American Women to “Come Together,” “Being together” in the form of networking, and supporting each other and to build a strong well-connected community of women of color. Learn more at aawsbc.com/.
Coffee with A Black Guy – Coffee with a Black Guy (CWABG) is an innovative social impact movement launched in July 2016 by Santa Barbara resident James Joyce III. In these community conversations, Joyce facilitates candid cross-cultural dialogue to help counteract much of the racial tumult going on in the world, particularly in the United States. These sessions are a time to share stories, have conversations, impart perspective or just listen and learn from fellow citizens of the world. CWABG seeks to merge the tactile and digital worlds to bring greater understanding, compassion, empathy, and love to our shared global community. Simply put Coffee. Connection. Conversations. Learn more at www.cwabg.com.
Endowment for Youth Committee – Since its start in 1986, the Endowment for Youth Committee (EYC) has been one of the largest organizations on the California Central Coast that remains dedicated to the educational success and advancement of Black/African American youth.Co-founded by Cliff Lambert and Melvin Richey, the organization provides educational, cultural, social, and recreational programs for young African-American men and all other segments of our youth. Now more than thirty years later, EYC is adapting to the dynamic youth of today to more accurately address their needs and concerns. EYC is committed to our youth, to their success, and putting forth all our resources to help them thrive. Learn more at endowmentforyouth.org.
Gateway Educational Services – Serving students since 2009 Gateway Educational Services is Santa Barbara County’s only nonprofit learning center. Gateway’s services are for students grades K-12 and include assessment-based tutoring for students and subjects include reading, math, and writing. Gateway has a College Readiness Program for first-generation underrepresented students and has successfully helped over 70 students realize the dream to attend college. This year Gateway expanded its services to provide 40 Black/African American students needing support in Santa and Lompoc. Gateway was founded by Connie Alexander and Audrey Gamble African American educators and leaders. Gateway recently relocated to Goleta.
Healing Justice Santa Barbara – Healing Justice Santa Barbara aspires to uplift all Black/African-Americans to affirm that they are deserving of safety, love, equity, respect, and joy. Simply put we do it for the love of Black people. Learn more at HJSB.org.
Juneteenth Santa Barbara – Juneteenth is an annual event, where we bring community members together to celebrate the freedom of slaves in the United States. Two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, slaves in Galveston, Texas were informed of their freedom and immediately danced in the streets. Today we honor our ancestors and celebrate our freedom, showcasing black joy and culture in Santa Barbara, California. Our community event also honors local black artists, performers, and organizations as well as providing free food, dancing, and singing. Join us for our 2020 event on June 19. Learn more at juneteenthsb.com.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee of Santa Barbara – The mission of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee of Santa Barbara is to foster positive relationships between the many diverse groups in the Santa Barbara Community and the surrounding areas; to sponsor programs and events which exemplify the teachings of Dr. King; and to observe, and celebrate the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday. Learn more at mlksb.org.
Santa Barbara Black Culture House – In February 2020, Darrell McNeill and Sally Foxen-McNeill created the Black History Month Culture House as a pop-up cultural event space in downtown Santa Barbara. Live music performances, film/documentary/concert video screenings, live discussions, and more all centered around the richness of Black culture, were featured every weekend in February. Find out more about this year’s virtual programming at BHMCultureHouse@gmail.com.
Santa Barbara Public Library – The mission statement of the Santa Barbara Public Library System is to provide information services, reading materials, and educational resources to residents of all ages from the Santa Ynez Valley to Carpinteria. Educate, Captivate, Connect. Learn more at santabarbaraca.gov/gov/depts/lib/default.asp.
Santa Barbara Young Black Professionals – Santa Barbara Young Black Professionals’ goal is to create and foster positive relationships that empower young Black professionals in the Santa Barbara area by creating and participating in opportunities for professional development, social enrichment, and community service. This group is intended to create a space for young black professionals in the Santa Barbara area to; build community, establish roots, network, and excel personally and professionally. To learn more please go to SBYBP.com.
UCSB Hosford, The Healing Space – The collective toll of racism on Black Americans in the US is widespread. This ranges from police brutality to mass incarceration to the school-to-prison pipeline and in today’s world, ongoing discrimination in the US healthcare system related to COVID-19. Given the ongoing and long-standing ill effects of anti-Black racism on mental health, the Healing Space was formed to provide a therapy space to address racial trauma and foster resilience among Black and African American residents in the larger Santa Barbara area. Learn more at sbhealing.org.
UCSB MultiCultural Center (MCC) – In 1987, the MultiCultural Center was created out of student demands, along with the support of the larger campus community, for a safer and inclusive community space for students of color at UCSB. With the original intent to facilitate the recruitment and retention of students of color and to combat intersecting systems of institutional oppression and racism, the center has grown, both in its mission and physical footprint, to address myriad social justice issues and take action in pursuit of a more just society. Learn more atmcc.sa.ucsb.edu.
The National Association For the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Santa Maria-Lompoc, was founded in 1909 to address existing racial and ethnic disparities and is the largest and oldest civil rights organization in the nation. Its mission is to secure the social, political, educational, and economic equality of rights of all people by removing barriers such as race-based discrimination and to ensure the health and well-being of all persons. Learn more at santamarialompocnaacp.org.
