By Lookout Staff

February 18, 2025 -- Santa Monica will celebrate Black history month on Saturday by honoring the leaders who helped create Virginia Avenue Park half a century ago.

Hosted by the City and the Black Santa Monica Community Group, the 10th annual Black History Greens Festival takes place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the park at 2200 Virginia Avenue in the Pico Neighborhood.

The theme for this year's free festivities -- which include live performances and a cooking competition -- is "Roots and Reflections: Community Legacy of Virginia Avenue Park."

"Virginia Avenue Park stands as a beacon of inclusion for providing access to recreational spaces once denied to Black Americans, and this year’s event will honor the community heroes and activists who were pivotal in acquiring and creating the park," organizers said.

They include historical figures -- such as Santa Monica's first Black Mayor, Nat Trives, and its first Black millionaire, Lloyd C. Allen -- who continue to share their legacy.

Allen, who celebrated his 103rd birthday last fall, was honored with a ceremony unveiling a plaque last December recognizing "his legacy of advocacy and public service" ("City to Honor Civic, Business Leader," December 18, 2024).

Trives, who is known as "Mr. Santa Monica," was born in Alabama in 1934 or 1935 and moved to the city in 1949, becoming its first Black police officer and, as mayor, adding minorities to every board and commission.

The Los Angeles County Supervisors will acknowledge Trives' role as one of the founders of the annual Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration which celebrated its 40th anniversary this year.

Other "community heroes and activists" who will be honored for being "pivotal in acquiring and creating the park" are Clyde Smith and Vabel Reed; the City's second Black councilmember, Hilliard Lawson, and Dr. Alfred T. Quinn, the School District's first Black teacher.

The day’s festivities will also include a discussion moderated by Robbie Jones, a local historian and business owner, and a Greens cooking competition and tastings by Pastor Mossett of Calvary Baptist Church of Santa Monica and Chef Andrena Seals of Black Santa Monica Community Group.

There will also be a performance by the Calvary Baptist Church of Santa Monica Gospel Choir, a book reading of “Ice Cream Man” by author Glenda Armand and cooking demonstrations of family favorite greens recipes by local chefs.

DJ Dense will be "spinning music throughout the day" and the Pico Branch Library will have "book giveaways." There will also be a wide array of resource booths and vendors.

Guests are encouraged to bring picnic blankets and/or lawn chairs. Walking and biking to the festival is encouraged.