John,

Black History Month invites opportunities to explore, learn, and celebrate the contributions and achievements of Black Americans. Yet every day, I am reminded of the richness of the Black American experience.

My travels throughout California draw me to public parks, places with which I developed a deeper connection when working for the National Park Service while in college. Although parks can provide solace with their natural beauty and expansive openness, they also can inspire.

Did you know Colonel Charles Young was the first African American superintendant of a national park? The first national park created to protect a living species, Sequoia National Park in Tulare County has been the home of the giant forest of sequoias saved from logging. Colonel Young and his crew built the lasting park infrastructure that has led generations of visitors to experience the majesty of the sequoias.
 
Also in Tulare County, Colonel Allensworth Historic State Park teaches us about the all-Black farming community in Allensworth, a town founded in 1908 and governed by African Americans to escape post-Civil War racist violence and discrimination. A thriving community until the 1920s when access to water and the railroad were curtailed. Restored and reconstructed buildings and artifacts at the park offer insights into a still little known part of California history.
 
May we remember the sacrifices and contributions of so many beyond this Black History Month with gratitude.

Betty