By Andrea Ramos
About 75 demonstrators gathered Saturday afternoon at Marina Vista Park in Long Beach for a vibrant, mask-enforced rally and celebration in honor of Black History Month.
Organized by a coalition of Black liberation leaders, the event featured performers, speakers and community activists from Long Beach and Orange County, as well as local vendors. Some attendees tossed a football around the park while others danced to music blaring from two large speakers, sage burning in the wind.
Anthony Bryson, an organizer, said that Black History Month is not only about celebration but also the “education of the contribution made by African Americans to our society.”
“What we should aim for is that the inclusiveness of history really encompasses all contributions made by all minorities who have been left out of history,” Bryson said. “We’ve gone from the slave house to the White House.”
Summary by: Julia Terbeche
Video by: Andrea Ramos
