Not many Bakersfield College students attended the annual Black American History Day Parade, though there were some alumni present.
When asking BC students about the annual Black American History Day Parade, the consensus were the students simply did not know about it.
“Never heard anything about it”, mentioned Yoli Puente, a BC student majoring in nursing and radiology, referring to the annual parade. Puente went on to explain she would attend if she heard more information and seen more publicity about the annual parade. Also explaining Martin Luther King is big amongst her son.
When Ian Equality, a new engineering major student at BC, was asked about attending the annual parade, Equality mentioned, “No, I did not attend.” Equality spoke about being misinformed about the event, mentioning that there were no signs up around campus. Also Equality mentioned, “No one talked about it, there was no word of mouth,” also referring to the annual parade.
Nick Jackson, former BC student, stated “I bring my son and nephew so they can see our community in a positive way and it helps them appreciate the achievements of past African Americans.”
There were many families in attendance at the annual event. Parents of many backgrounds were there with their children. Children along with their parents enjoyed an array of entries the annual parade had to offer.
Student after student replied in a similar way, including Miles Post, Clayton Fowler, and Sahar Forouzanfar. All stating they have not attended the annual parade. “Did not know we had one,” mentioned Forouzanfar. The group and other students would attend if there were more of an effort put into targeting a younger demographic. It is something the group would be interested in attending in the future.
The annual event celebrates the many accomplishments of the African American community and its supporters. An expression of culture, our celebration through unity was this year’s theme. The theme’s inspiration was featured in many of the entries in this year’s parade.
Any persons or organizations interested in being an entire in next year’s annual Black American History Day Parade can call Gloria Patterson at 661-703-7955 for more information.
The Black American History Parade and heritage festival are annual events held in Bakersfield on the last Saturday in February. Admissions to both events are free to the public.