All of my life I have loved history. It was one of my favorite subjects in school. My love of history I guess stems from listening to the stories from my parents and my grandma. As a child I looked forward to the days when my grandmother would tell me how things were when she grew up in 1920’s. I learned first hand about how hard life was during the depression. My grandmother would tell me how people would line up for the soup kitchens, and how difficult it was for so many people to find work. I think it is important for families to pass stories on the next generation. It’s a good reminder of where you come from.

With my own children, I have tried to carry on that tradition. Most of the time, they don’t want to hear my stories, but I know many years from now they will appreciate it. I think Black History month is a wonderful opportunity for all of us to learn more about the contributions of great Americans, who happen to of be of African descent.

San Diego is rich in African American history. Did you know when the Portuguese explorer Juan Cabrillo landed here in 1542 he had black slaves with him? In 1804 John Brown, a slave aboard the O’Cain, jumped ship to freedom.  

When San Diego became a part of the newly independent Mexico in 1821, blacks could be found in all levels of the society.  In fact, the last governor of California under Mexican rule (Pio Pico) was of African descent.  African Americans like Allen Light and Richard Freeman settled in Old Town San Diego in the 1840’s. They established the San Diego House, a saloon/restaurant.

African Americans started their migration to downtown’s Horton Addition in the 1870s.  During the 1880’s, African Americans helped settle towns in San Diego County like Julian, Campo and the Palomar Mountain. In 1887 in fact, Albert and Margaret Robinson established the Hotel Robinson (now the Julian Hotel). 

If you are interested in learning more about San Diego’s Black history I would encourage you to visit the website of the Black Historical Society of San Diego. It is filled with wonderful historical facts about San Diego’s history.

Submitted by Lisa Lake, 10News Anchor.

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