San Diego Neighborhoods to Visit During Black History Month

Jill RobiFebruary 14th 2018

Though we’re hitting the midway point of February, there are some great locations and neighborhoods to visit for the remainder of this month in observation of Black History Month. While San Diego may not be associated with African American culture, there is no shortage of cultural sites in the Downtown San Diego area for you to visit, see, and learn. 

Photo by Shutterstock

Created by Melvin Edwards in 1995 in the Marina District, this large, tall, polished metal sculpture is a monument dedicated to the fight for civil rights. Etched into the footstones are selections from Dr. Martin Luther King’s writings, while the sculpture itself symbolizes discrimination in America through the imagery of breaking chains. Located alongside the Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade, a linear memorial park, and across the street from the San Diego Convention Center, Breaking of the Chains can be observed from dawn to dusk and is transit accessible from the Gaslamp Quarter station.

San Diego African American Museum of Fine Arts — Valencia Park

Photo courtesy of San Diego African American Museum of Fine Arts

Located in Valencia Park, the San Diego African American Museum of Fine Arts presents and preserves art made by African Americans. The museum collects and preserves fine art and offers both public and educational programs. Currently, it’s exhibiting the art of African American artists Manuelita Brown, Ernest Eugene Barnes Jr., Jean Cornwell Wheat, Albert Fennell, Kadir Nelson, Faith Ringgold, Charles Rucker, and Rossie S. Wade, all of whom are either from San Diego or have a “significant relationship” to the area.