In the Los Angeles area, 2016 marked important milestones for the interpretation of African American experience at Santa Monica’s Bay Street/Inkwell monument site for contemporary audiences. The fifth year of the Nick Gabaldón Day celebration with new and different activities such as a Santa Monica High School seminar and a multi-media art project display created by artist Yrneh Brown added to the educational programming to engage broader audiences in learning about our collective history, social action, beach access issues, and nature conservation intersection with the enjoyment of the beach. Learn about who Nick Gabaldón was and why there is a celebration in his honor here.

Nick Gabaldón Day, June 2016 at the opening ceremony, Bay Street/Inkwell Monument, Santa Monica California. Photography courtesy of the Black Surfers Collective Facebook page.

It was also the fifth year the International/California Coastal Cleanup Day (ICCC Day) event staging at the Bay Street/Inkwell monument site. Marking this ICCC Day 2016 occasion, California Coastal Commissioner Effie Turnbull-Sanders, former Santa Monica City Council member Nat Trives and Santa Monica Conservancy members lead by president Carol Lemlein aided a group of Los Angeles youth in learning about cultural landscape of the historical African American beach site, beach access issues and civic action as they were educated about how to keeping our watershed unpolluted by participating in the cleanup effort.

Save the date for the 2017 Nick Gabaldón Day scheduled for Saturday, June 3 and ICCC Day set for Saturday, September 16. Watch for more information on both events in the coming months.

Santa Monica civil leader Nat Trives, Commissioner Effie Turnbull-Sanders, California Coastal Commission and Carol Lemlein, Santa Monica Conservancy president pose with Los Angeles youth who participated in learning about history and community service at the 2016 Int’l/CA Coastal Cleanup Day, 17 September 2016.