in San Diego, Black history stretches back nearly 200 years, predating California statehood itself. And while that history is rich and deeply rooted, Black San Diegans have had to fight time and again for the right to thrive.
February is Black History Month, Community.
This year marks the 100-year anniversary of Black History Month — a century dedicated to preserving, sharing, and honoring stories that have too often been ignored or erased.
Here in San Diego, Black history stretches back nearly 200 years, predating California statehood itself. And while that history is rich and deeply rooted, Black San Diegans have had to fight time and again for the right to thrive.
From Don Pío Pico, who served as the last Governor of Mexican Alta California in the early 1800s; to the pioneering America Newton, who helped found San Diego a century later; to the heyday of Black arts and culture at the “Harlem of the West” in the Douglas Hotel; to today’s entrepreneurs, organizers, artists, and community leaders — Black San Diegans have always helped shape this region.
Despite generations of displacement, redlining, and exclusion, our community has endured. San Diego remains a beacon of Black culture, creativity, and entrepreneurship because people refused to be erased and continued building, even when the odds were stacked against them.
Honoring Black history means more than remembering the past — it means telling the truth, protecting our stories, and carrying them forward with care.
Black history is not separate from American history or San Diego’s history, Black history IS American history and San Diego's history. It lives in our neighborhoods, our families, our culture, and our continued fight for dignity and opportunity. It is a story of resilience, creativity, and leadership in the face of systems designed to deny it.
As the first Black woman to represent San Diego on the Board of Supervisors, and as someone privileged to serve, I know how powerful it is to see our history named, honored, and shared.
When we protect Black history, we protect our collective future.
Thank you for taking this moment to reflect, remember, and celebrate the generations who came before us — and those who are still making history today.
In community,
Monica
Born and raised in San Diego, Monica Montgomery Steppe is an HBCU graduate, and an attorney by trade. Monica believes in her heart that neighborhoods and community members are vibrant and worthy of care and investment. To learn more about Monica and the work she's doing for District Four, click here.
If you believe you received this email in error or would no longer like to receive email updates from Monica, please click here to unsubscribe.
Paid for by: Montgomery Steppe for Supervisor 2026
FPPC ID # 1470155
3295 Meade Ave, #212, San Diego CA 92116 |
