A Mass Reunion : Black History Events Bring Out Old Neighbors

Hazel Buchanan, 62, reached through the crush of people to grab an old friend in a hearty hug Saturday at the Black History Month celebration.

It was a scene often repeated in the crowd of about 10,000 at the parade and cultural fair at Eddie West Stadium, as people called out to old friends here, stretched out hands and proudly showed off children.

Orange County’s 50,000-member African American community, once centered in Santa Ana, has scattered to different neighborhoods, but Saturday’s events offered a chance for reunion.

“There is no community here other than us to bring all these roots together,” said Charles Mosley, one of the organizers of the event. “The history is really here, for African Americans in Orange County. The churches are still here, and the city is very supportive,” he said.

In the morning, cheering crowds lined Broadway and 10th streets to watch a parade including a Lion King float by Disneyland, community leaders in Mustang convertibles and marching bands from Morningside and Inglewood high schools in Inglewood and Centennial High School in Compton.

Cheeneah Armstrong, 43, of Santa Ana said the celebration was a chance for her to renew ties with old friends.

“We’re all so busy now that we’re working professionals. It’s very hard to get together. It’s nice to say hi and get hugs,” she said. “I’m happy to be a part of it. It’s a wonderful cultural gathering, and it’s nice to see so many people here of every race.”

Her friend Aileen Kennedy, 35, also of Santa Ana, agreed, saying that she already had run into many other alumnae from her UC Santa Barbara sorority.

“It brings a lot of people together so they can see what is going on and see each other,” Kennedy said.

Armstrong also had picked up a bargain from one of the many vendors who sold everything from batik-print dresses to ebony carvings.

“I bought this beautiful basket from Nigeria. It was only $20, and anywhere else it would have been $150,” she said, displaying a multicolored woven basket.

Kennedy carried an umbrella to shield herself from the blazing sun. Temperatures reached the high 70s, and the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream truck was doing a quick business.

Jeannie Brown, 33, of Orange, and her family rested on the grass beneath the shade of a tree munching nachos and hot dogs.

Brown said she came with her daughters, son, a nephew and her mother to celebrate black history.

“I think more blacks should get together with their culture. I’m here for them,” she said, referring to her two daughters, ages 2 and 3. “I want them to know, and sometimes they are not taught in school. There’s not enough going on in Orange County. There should be more.”

The Black History Month Parade, begun in 1979, was canceled in 1992 and 1993 due to lack of funds and organizational problems. Mosley and two other African American business owners, Ernesta Wright and Ray Brently, vowed there would be no repeat of those problems and formed a fund-raising foundation, Mission With Benevolence foundation.

This year’s parade was pulled together as late as November, Mosley said.

“We realized we didn’t have the financial wherewithal,” he said, acknowledging they had “seen a lot of dark days financially.” But at the last minute, donations from companies including Disney and Southern California Edison came through, enabling them to meet their goal of $5,000.

The city provides security and space for the event.

“This is the county seat, and there is lot of history here associated with the African American community,” said Santa Ana Mayor Miguel A. Pulido Jr. “We welcome it and think that it will be even bigger and better next year.”

Juanita Curry, 39, of Santa Ana, who brought four children to the event, said, “They need to know about their culture. A lot of these kids don’t know.

“I’ve been here 20 years, and my kids went. Now they are all grown up, and I’m bringing these children.”

Inside, adults caught up on each other’s lives and ate hot wings, fried chicken, baked beans, plantains, gumbo and hamburgers.

Kevin Saunders, 21, said the fair is an opportunity to buy goods that are often hard to find in Orange County.

“There are not a lot of black stores in Orange County,” Saunders said. “I feel that our black people need to be together and unified. We need to celebrate history so we can advance through the future.”