Last year locally and internationally renowned artist Mario Torero painted four murals for the San Ysidro Health building in National City, at the intersection of 8th Street and D Avenue.
The colorful faces depicted in these outdoor murals belong to labor and civil rights leaders: Cesar Chavez, Larry Itliong, Dolores Huerta, and Martin Luther King Jr. The faces of these cultural icons are rendered in Torero’s distinctive style.
Torero, co-founder of Chicano Park, is famous for his socially conscious artwork. You’ve likely seen his work elsewhere around San Diego.
I photographed the four postage stamp-like murals during a walk through National City.
Cesar Chavez mural by Mario Torero.Larry Itliong mural by Mario Torero.Dolores Huerta mural by Mario Torero.Martin Luther King Jr. mural by Mario Torero.
…
Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
An inspirational event was enjoyed by many today in San Diego. It was the first ever African American Heritage Celebration in Balboa Park!
The House of USA hosted this program at the International Cottages for Black History Month. Starting at 2 o’clock, the celebration was jam-packed with history, culture, education and optimism.
Community organizations had booths around the lawn, and some tasty food was served up on the patio in front of the House of USA cottage.
I thought the highlight of the event were the young speakers and dancers who took to the stage. They were like bright stars shining for all to see.
The House of USA royal court read inspiring words from Kwame Alexander’s “The Undefeated.”
A local artist professor spoke about African American creators and how they connect and inspire the community.
A skit performed by young people reenacted the historic bravery of civil rights hero Rosa Parks on that segregated bus.
And there was much more!
Enjoy these photographs and be sure to go to this great event next year.
(And please read about several organizations in attendance that are working to make a positive impact…)
The above smiling young people are future leaders who are participating in the Dr. JAM Program! Click this link to visit the website.
Their motto is: In the depths of Wisdom abounds Knowledge!!! Knowledge is divine!! So I lend my ear to Listen, my heart to the Respect of my People and my soul to the Preservation of my Culture!
What’s the Uplift Institute? Just what it sounds like!
They are working to improve lives in the community, particularly when it comes to our shared environment. They have an event coming up called Sustainable ‘Hood Education and Career Expo ’23. It will be taking place May 6 at UC San Diego’s downtown Park and Market.
This organization empowers underserved, unemployed men, including Veterans and the unsheltered. They provide support for men who face challenges while attempting to transition back into the workplace to achieve self-sufficiency.
An exhibit is now being readied at the San Diego History Center for Black History Month. Two museum walls will feature photographs selected from the History Center’s archives.
When I asked about this installation today, I learned that the centerpiece will be Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s visit to San Diego back in 1964. Many additional photographs concern citizens in our community who dared to advocate for equal rights.
About a third of the photos were up this afternoon. The exhibit should be completed sometime this week!
Protesting racial segregation in front of Woolworth’s storefront in downtown San Diego in 1960.Racial equality sit-in at SDG&E in 1963.Board of Education racial integration proponents disrupt meeting in 1968. A group of parents fought against inequalities for students of all ethnic backgrounds.
…
Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Look at all the smiles! They could be seen everywhere before the start of San Diego’s big 41st Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade!
MLK Day is tomorrow, so today was a fine day to celebrate the legacy of the great civil rights leader. The rain even paused for the parade and a bit of sun peeked through!
But the sun couldn’t outshine the bright smiles I saw on Harbor Drive!
…
Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
An emotionally moving mural was created in Lemon Grove earlier this year between two buildings on Broadway.
The Lemon Grove Incident mural was painted by lead artist Mario Chacón and a team of volunteers, including many local students. It can be viewed at 7963 Broadway, between the Welcome Home Boutique & Art Space and Body by Discipline.
The mural remembers and honors a court order in 1931 that ended school segregation in Lemon Grove. Previously, Mexican American students had been taught in a separate shabby schoolhouse. The groundbreaking ruling set Lemon Grove on the path to being one of the most integrated towns and school districts in San Diego County.
You can read more about the mural’s history and dedication back in March here.
…
Thank you for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often, so you might want to bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and check back from time to time.
You can explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on this website’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There’s a lot of stuff to share and enjoy!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
An exhibit of national importance opens this weekend at the Quartyard outdoor venue in San Diego’s East Village.
The Buses Are Coming celebrates the 60th Anniversary of the Freedom Riders. Featured are historical photographs and the stories of those who participated.
The Freedom Riders were civil rights activists. Sitting freely on interstate buses wherever they pleased, they rode into states where Supreme Court rulings against segregation on buses were being ignored. The Freedom Rides, and the violent reactions they provoked, bolstered the credibility of the American Civil Rights Movement.
The San Diego African American Museum of Fine Art (SDAAMFA) is hosting this inspiring exhibition through September 7, 2022. Everyone is freely invited to view The Buses Are Coming when the Quartyard is open to the public.
To learn more about this exhibit at the art-filled Quartyard, which hopefully many Comic-Con participants next month will visit, click here!
…
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
John Franklin Ritchey. First Black player for the San Diego Padres.
A series of street lamp banners celebrating Black History in San Diego can be observed on Market Street, between Sixth Avenue and Tenth Avenue. Depicted are eight notable pioneers of downtown!
If you’d like to learn about many of our city’s Black pioneers, entrepreneurs, sports heroes and others who’ve contributed to our city’s rich history, here’s a good page to visit!
To see a timeline of Black history in San Diego, check this page out!
Sylura Barron. Civic leader and women’s rights activist.Jasper Davis. Second Black police officer in San Diego.Blossom Lorraine Van Lowe. First Black teacher in San Diego.Dr. Robert Matthews. Educator and civil rights activist.Rebecca Craft. Founder of Black Women’s Civic League.George A. Ramsey. Entrepreneur and business owner.Dr. Jack Kimbrough. President of NAACP, San Diego, 1947.
…
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!
Every day, every moment, Sojourner Truth walks through San Diego.
Students at UC San Diego’s Marshall College might encounter her as they proceed down the Ridge Walk. And if they pause to use curious eyes, they can see her humanity and read her words.
The statue of Sojourner Truth debuted on the campus in 2015. It was created by UCSD alumna Manuelita Brown.
Sojourner Truth was born into slavery but managed to escape it. She became an abolitionist and women’s rights activist who would not be deterred. Feeling guided by God, she testified to the hope that was within her. Read her history here.
Read an article about the sculpture’s dedication ceremony here.
…
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
A new exhibit opens in March at the San Diego History Center in Balboa Park. It’s titled To Advance the Status of Women in Law and Society: Lawyers Club of San Diego at 50 Years.
Yesterday, during a visit to the History Center, I enjoyed a preview of the exhibit, which then was almost complete.
Displays filled with photographs and detailed descriptions explain how over the years women have fought for equal rights and opportunity in California, and San Diego in particular.
I learned how Clara Shortridge Foltz, the first woman to pass the California bar in 1883, helped lead the fight for the women’s right to vote in California.
I learned how gender bias in the San Diego legal community, right up into the 1970s, made it hard for women attorneys to gain employment.
I also learned how one woman achieved unique success. Madge Bradley, who was appointed to the San Diego Municipal Court bench in 1953, was the first woman to serve on a judicial bench in San Diego County.
When Madge Bradley retired, there again were no women on the bench, and only 24 women practicing law in all of San Diego County. So six female lawyers, who sought to challenge gender bias in their profession and elevate the status of women, started the Lawyers Club in 1972.
Over the decades, the Lawyers Club of San Diego has helped to greatly advance the cause of women, and equal rights, not only in the legal profession, but throughout society.
But there is still work to do. For several decades women have graduated from law school at the same rate as men, but they still make up a minority of judges.
One display explains how to make change happen: by voting, advocacy, speaking out, raising awareness, leadership, finding allies, and giving back.
In 2022, the Lawyers Club is celebrating their 50th Anniversary!
…
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Today was a special day on San Diego’s MTS buses. A front seat was reserved on every bus in honor of Rosa Parks! Today, February 4, is her birthday!
I happened to see the above “reserved seat” sign as I boarded the 120 bus this evening at Fashion Valley. The driver admired the sign again and straightened it after I took my photo. As I rode toward home, I remembered there’s a special bus stop dedicated to Rosa Parks on the 44 route, at San Diego Mesa College.
Rosa Parks was largely responsible for starting the civil rights movement in the United States, when she refused to give up her front seat on a segregated Montgomery, Alabama city bus in 1955. Later in life she visited San Diego Mesa College and received an award for her legendary courage and activism.
I took photos of that special bus stop, its historical displays and a nearby bench with the inscription Quiet Strength, a year ago. See those photographs here!
…
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!
Cool San Diego Sights! 