Crear Studio featured a vibrant multimedia installation that traces the parade back to 1980 off Raitt Street to Main Street in Santa Ana, before it settled in Anaheim in 2012. The exhibition of artifacts includes familial photos from the Shipp family’s personal collection along with newspaper clippings, certificates of recognition, audio and video news coverage, and a virtual timeline provided by a QR code that can be scanned with smart phones to be used during the gallery visit or saved to be reviewed at leisure. 

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About the Parade:

Started as a local tradition during Black History Month, the late Helen M. Shipp initiated the parade on February 22, 1980, to build a “community in the community.” It was a way for African American residents in Orange County to represent their existence, churches, and culture in the region. She stressed the importance of its inclusivity to her family, specifically her children, given that their Santa Ana neighbors in the 1980’s included Latinos, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Tongans and Samoans.

The O.C. Black History Parade and Cultural Faire unite community members of
all backgrounds in one location. The parade is now led by Dwayne “BH” Shipp, the youngest of the ten Shipp children and president of the Orange County Heritage Council (OCHC). BH decided to add a new tradition of his own to honor his mother’s work. He curated old photos and news clippings into an exhibit sharing the origin, diversity, and growth of the parade.

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