Black History Month 2023 - Black Resistance in Santa Barbara County
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 27, 2023
CONTACT: Juneteenth Santa Barbara, juneteenthsbc@gmail.com
Black Resistance, 2023 Black History Month
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, CA - The Santa Barbara County Black/African-American community comes together to celebrate the historical achievements Black/African Americans have made for our region and the nation. Juneteenth Santa Barbara (JSB) brings together Black/African-American-led organizations to continue the tradition of providing Black History Month (BHM) events in February and year-round in Santa Barbara County.
The 2023 theme of Black Resistance tells the story of how this community resists, rises above, and thrives, despite historical and continued oppression. The Association for the Study of African American Life and History shares:
“Black people have had to consistently push the United States to live up to its ideals of freedom, liberty, and justice for all…Black people have sought ways to nurture and protect Black lives and for the autonomy of their physical and intellectual bodies through armed resistance, voluntary emigration, nonviolence, education, literature, sports, media, and legislation/politics. Black-led institutions and affiliations have lobbied, litigated, legislated, protested, and succeeded.”
Locally, there has been an ongoing effort led by JSB that brings Black/African-American-led organizations together for continued communication and connection. An outcome of this five-year effort is coordinating Black/African-American events to uplift the joy, accomplishments, challenges, and successes of local Black/African-American individuals.
“We have a vibrant community of passionate and hard-working Black/African-Americans locally, who, thanks to our Ancestors and Elders, have created a culture to create services needed to support ALL of our communities,” shared Jordan Killebrew, Co-Founder of Juneteenth SB. “Our goal, just like our annual Juneteenth event, is to bring our community together and showcase their hard work, helping to amplify their support services and their great accomplishments locally. ”
Events in 2023 will be in person and virtual (online). Santa Barbara County Community organizations providing events include Coffee with a Black Guy, Endowment for Youth Community, Gateway Educational Services, Healing Justice Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Black Culture House, Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, Santa Barbara County Black Student Unions, UCSB Arts & Lectures, UCSB Multicultural Center (MCC), NAACP Santa Barbara, and NAACP Santa Maria - Lompoc. Check out the calendar of events below and at JuneteenthSB.org.
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 2023 (event details will be updated throughout the month of February).
City of Carpinteria Proclamation: January 23 - view here
Santa Barbara Unified School District Resolution: January 24 - view here
City of Santa Barbara Proclamation: February 7 - view here
County of Santa Barbara Resolution: February 7 - view here
City of Goleta Proclamation: February 21 - view here
City of Buellton Proclamation: TBD - view here
City of Lompoc Proclamation: TBD - view here
City of Santa Maria Proclamation: TBD - more information
Community Events
The community-at-large is welcome to come and enjoy the events listed below (event details will be updated throughout the month of February).
Wednesday, February 1st - Black Light House Keepers, Presented by Santa Barbara Maritime Museum
At Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, Children Show from 3 pm - 4:30 pm, Adult Show from 7 pm - 8:45 pm
Tickets are first come, first served
Thursday, February 2 - Evening on Literacy with Maya Payne Smart, Presented by Gateway Education Sevices
At La Cumbre Jr. High from 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Free | register for the event!
Friday, February 3 - We are Here, The Fabric of Black Excellence | Black Community Gathering, Presented by NAACP Santa Maria-Lompoc
At Soul Bites, 423 State St. Santa Barbara, CA from 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Saturday, February 4 - Documentary Screening of “Maynard” with Q&A of Directors, Presented by Santa Barbara Black Culture House
Free at Soul Bites, 423 State St. Santa Barbara, CA starting at 1 pm
Saturday, February 4 - Presented by NAACP Santa Maria/Lompoc
Saturday, February 5 - Coffee with a Black Guy: Frank Talk on Race, with James Joyce, Presented by Santa Barbara Black Culture House
Free at Soul Bites, 423 State St. Santa Barbara, CA starting at 1 pm
Thursday, February 9, Coffee with a Black Guy: Combatting Institutional Anti-Blackness, with James Joyce, Presented by UCSB Multi-Cultural Center
Free at MCC Theater from 5 pm - 7 pm
Thursday, February 9, SBCC UMOJA MURAL Artist Talk, meet the Bay Area Mural Program Artist, hear the story behind the mural, & learn about the power of public art, Presented by SBCC UMOJA Community
SBCC Center for Equity & Social Justice (CC-228) Theater from 5 pm - 7 pm
Friday, February 10 - Old Fashion Friday & Love Potion Class Celebrating Black History Month & Valentine's Day, presented by Pura Luna Apothecary and Finch & Fork
$65 for the masterclass, you will learn how to boost desire through herbs, spirits, and food. Enjoy bites and Bourbon, music from Talitha Gabrielle, gift bags, and giveaways.
7 - 9 pm at Finch & Fork, Canary Hotel
Saturday, February 11 - “Choice of Colors” Panel on Intersectionalities with Race, Presented by Santa Barbara Black Culture House
Free at Soul Bites, 423 State St. Santa Barbara, CA starting at 1 pm
Wednesday, February 15 - Celebration of Black Joy, History, & Education, Presented by SBCC UMOJA Community
Free | 5:30 - 8 PM at UMOJA Village Space
Dinner, music, activities, and information provided
Friday, February 17 - Black History Month Celebration, Presented by Pacifica Graduate Institute & Alumni Association’s
Free at Pacifica Graduate Institute, Lambert Campus, 249 Lambert Road, Carpinteria, CA 93013
Saturday, February 18 - Panel discussion: “Black Women Rock.” A pre-taped video conference of five dynamic Black women who’ve carved out careers in the rock music genre. Featuring Maureen Mahon, author/professor at NYU and artists Sophia Ramos, Shelley Nicole, Leah King and LaFrae Sci, Presented by Santa Barbara Black Culture House
Free at Soul Bites, 423 State St. Santa Barbara, CA starting at 1 pm
Saturday, February 18 - Black History Month Celebration, Presented by NAACP Santa Maria/Lompoc
Free at Santa Maria Public Library at 2 pm
Saturday, February 18 - Black History Month Community Appreciation Celebration, Presented by Endowment for Youth Community
Wine Collective in Santa Barbara, 4-6 pm
RSVP by Feb 11th to Shevon Hoover
Saturday, February 18 - A Night With Vivian Storm
$25 tickets at Soul Bites, 423 State St. Santa Barbara, CA starting at 7 pm
Sunday, February 19 - Live blues/rock with Jellyroll. Popular Santa Barbara blues rock band led by vocalist/harpist Morganfield Burnett, Presented by Santa Barbara Black Culture House
Free at Soul Bites, 423 State St. Santa Barbara, CA starting at 1 pm
Sunday, February 19 - Black History Month Celebration, Presented by NAACP Santa Maria/Lompoc
Free at Lompoc Public Library at 2 pm
Wednesday, February 22 - Voice of Liberation Show, Presented by Healing Justice Santa Barbara
Thursday, February 23 - Ainissa Ramirez, Award-winning Materials Scientist, Science Evangelist, and author of The Alchemy of Us, Presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures
UCSB Campbell Hall at 7:30pm
Saturday, February 25 - Chocolate Baby Storytime, Presented by Healing Justice Santa Barbara
Free on Youtube, airing in the morning
Saturday, February 25 - 2nd Annual HBCU Virtual Fair, Presented by Gateway Education Sevices
Virtual from 10 am - 12 pm
Free | Register for the event!
Saturday, February 25 - Live Music with the “Be Funkin,” Presented by Santa Barbara Black Culture House
Free at Soul Bites, 423 State St. Santa Barbara, CA starting at 1 pm
Saturday, February 25, Black History Month Pop-Up Market, Presented by Pura Luna Apothecary, featuring Jamaican food and local vendors
Pura Luna Apothecary, 633 Chapala Street, Santa Barbara from 11am - 3pm
Saturday, February 25 - Mural Unveiling and Community Celebration, Presented by Endowment for Youth Community & North County Black Student Unions
Lompoc Theatre, Time TBD
In partnership with EYC, the high school BSU's in North County came up with a vision and a theme for a mural piece: "Embrace Love - Refuse Hate." We have Manuel Unzueta and David Duerson as artists on the initial layout. The mural will be installed on the side of the Lompoc Theatre, and we will host a large community celebration for the reveal during Black History Month. Historical figures include MLK, Rosa Parks, Thurgood Marshall, Nelson Mandela, and a few other local figures such as Napoleon Kaufmann, Dorothy Jackson, and Jonathan Majors.
Sunday, February 26 - Live Music with the “Cookies,” Presented by Santa Barbara Black Culture House
Free at Soul Bites, 423 State St. Santa Barbara, CA starting at 1 pm
Friday, March 3 - Dr. Thema Bryant, President of the American Psychological Association and author of Homecoming: Overcome Fear and Trauma to Reclaim Your Whole, Authentic Self, Presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures
UCSB Campbell Hall at 7:30 pm
Saturday, March 4 - Black History Month Celebration, Presented by NAACP Santa Maria/Lompoc
Free at Pioneer Park in Lompoc from 11 am - 5 pm
About the Community Organizations
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 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 global community. Simply put, Coffee. Connection. Conversations. Learn more at www.cwabg.com.
Endowment for Youth Community - Since its start in 1986, formerly Endowment for Youth Committee (EYC), it 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 Melvin Richey and Cliff Lambert, the organization provides educational, cultural, social, and recreational programs for young African-American men and all other segments of our youth. 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 to 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.
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 Maritime Museum - Creating quality exhibits and educational experiences that celebrate the Santa Barbara Channel and illuminate our rich connections with the sea. Learn more at sbmm.org.
UCSB Arts & Lectures - Founded in 1959, UCSB Arts & Lectures is the largest and most influential arts and lectures organization between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Arts & Lectures annually presents more than a hundred public events, from critically acclaimed concerts and dance performances by world-renowned artists to talks by groundbreaking authors and film series at UCSB and Santa Barbara-area venues. With a mission to "educate, entertain and inspire," A&L also oversees an outreach program that brings visiting artists and speakers into local classrooms and other venues for master classes, open rehearsals, discussions and more, serving K-12 students, college students and the general public. Learn more at artsandlectures.ucsb.edu.
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 at mcc.sa.ucsb.edu.
The National Association For the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Santa Barbara ensures that Black lives are a priority in all spaces. From police brutality to COVID-19 to voter suppression, Black communities are under attack. We work to disrupt inequality, dismantle racism, and accelerate change in key areas, including criminal justice, health care, education, climate, and the economy. When it comes to civil rights and social justice, we have the unique ability to secure more wins than anyone else. Help make racial equity a reality. Learn more at naacpsantabarbara.org.
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.
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