History

Founder Mrs. Helen Shipp got together in 1978 with a group of 6 other community members to lay the ground work for the first Black History Parade which was conducted by the Orange County Black Historical Commission. The first parade took place in 1979 at the Santa Ana Bowl. Only 8 entries were in that historical event which now has grown to almost 100 parade entries and 80 Faire booths. Mrs. Shipp still attends committee meetings to this day and has also launched the Helen M. Shipp Scholarship designed to encourage students to research, analyze and write creatively.