Members of the Soul Train float dance as they pass by the crowd along Anaheim Boulevard during the 43rd annual Orange County Black History Parade & Unity Fair on Saturday, February 4, 2023 in Anaheim. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Ted Nguyen of Laguna Niguel carries an OCBus board with a photo of Rosa Parks, commemorating her birthday, as he makes his way along Anaheim Boulevard during the 43rd annual Orange County Black History Parade & Unity Fair on Saturday, February 4, 2023 in Anaheim. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Parade goers sit and wave along Anaheim Boulevard during the 43rd annual Orange County Black History Parade on Saturday, February 4, 2023 in Anaheim. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Members of the Anaheim Elementary School District Showcase Band play for the crowd along Anaheim Boulevard during the 43rd annual Orange County Black History Parade & Unity Fair on Saturday, February 4, 2023 in Anaheim. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Parade goers sit along Anaheim Boulevard during the 43rd annual Orange County Black History Parade on Saturday, February 4, 2023 in Anaheim. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Aaron Derrickson, 3, of Anaheim waves to the passing parade as he sits on the lap of Rorie Brown of Huntington Beach along Anaheim Boulevard during the 43rd annual Orange County Black History Parade & Unity Fair on Saturday, February 4, 2023 in Anaheim. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Actress and recording artist Dani B Jaia waves to parade goers along Anaheim Boulevard during the 43rd annual Orange County Black History Parade & Unity Fair on Saturday, February 4, 2023 in Anaheim. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Members of the Anaheim Union High School District’s Unlimited You make their way along Anaheim Boulevard during the 43rd annual Orange County Black History Parade & Unity Fair on Saturday, February 4, 2023 in Anaheim. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Members of the Soul Train float dance as they pass by the crowd along Anaheim Boulevard during the 43rd annual Orange County Black History Parade & Unity Fair on Saturday, February 4, 2023 in Anaheim. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A parade goer shields himself from the sun along Anaheim Boulevard during the 43rd annual Orange County Black History Parade & Unity Fair on Saturday, February 4, 2023 in Anaheim. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken waves to the crowd as she walks along Anaheim Boulevard during the 43rd annual Orange County Black History Parade & Unity Fair on Saturday, February 4, 2023 in Anaheim. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
People watch the parade along Anaheim Boulevard during the 43rd annual Orange County Black History Parade & Unity Fair on Saturday, February 4, 2023 in Anaheim. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Members of the OC Black Moms community wave to parade goers along Anaheim Boulevard during the 43rd annual Orange County Black History Parade & Unity Fair on Saturday, February 4, 2023 in Anaheim. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Felton Shipp waves to parade goers along Anaheim Boulevard during the 43rd annual Orange County Black History Parade on Saturday, February 4, 2023 in Anaheim. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Performers with Dat Krew Academy in Bakersfield dance for the crowd along Anaheim Boulevard during the 43rd annual Orange County Black History Parade on Saturday, February 4, 2023 in Anaheim. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Radio personality Adai Lamar waves to parade goers along Anaheim Boulevard during the 43rd annual Orange County Black History Parade & Unity Fair on Saturday, February 4, 2023 in Anaheim. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Members of the Irvine-Anaheim alumni chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. walk along Anaheim Boulevard during the 43rd annual Orange County Black History Parade & Unity Fair on Saturday, February 4, 2023 in Anaheim. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Orange County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento, right, passes out bags as he walks the parade route during the 43rd annual Orange County Black History Parade & Unity Fair on Saturday, February 4, 2023 in Anaheim. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The 43rd annual Orange County Black History Parade makes its way along Anaheim Boulevard on Saturday, February 4, 2023 in Anaheim. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. of Orange County wave to parade goers along Anaheim Boulevard during the 43rd annual Orange County Black History Parade & Unity Fair on Saturday, February 4, 2023 in Anaheim. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Actress and humanitarian Angeliques Bates waves to parade goers along Anaheim Boulevard during the 43rd annual Orange County Black History Parade & Unity Fair on Saturday, February 4, 2023 in Anaheim. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Ted Nguyen of Laguna Niguel carries an OCBus board with a photo of Rosa Parks, commemorating her birthday, as he makes his way along Anaheim Boulevard during the 43rd annual Orange County Black History Parade & Unity Fair on Saturday, February 4, 2023 in Anaheim. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Actor Brandon Larkins waves to parade goers along Anaheim Boulevard during the 43rd annual Orange County Black History Parade & Unity Fair on Saturday, February 4, 2023 in Anaheim. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The 43rd annual Orange County Black History Parade makes its way along Anaheim Boulevard on Saturday, February 4, 2023 in Anaheim. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Thousands of people made their way to downtown Anaheim on Saturday morning to kick start Black History Month in Orange County with the annual Black History Parade and Unity Festival.
Revelers watched the parade led by Grand Marshal Adai Lamar, of 102.3 Radio Free KJLH and local host of “The Steve Harvey Morning Show,” as it travel south from Pearson Park on Lemon Street then Lincoln Avenue and Anaheim Boulevard. Marching bands, dance teams, double Dutch squads and a car parade helped pay homage to Black cultural contributions and celebrated Black history.
The parade culminated at the Unity Festival where festivalgoers enjoyed food while bands and DJs performed on the main stage. There was also a culture stage that hosted Black history discussions.
Yusra Farzan is a multimedia journalist who has reported on social issues as they intersect with race and religion for The Guardian, Insider, NPR, Buzzfeed News, Teen Vogue, NextCity.Org and PBS SoCal KCET. Her career began at UAE's largest English news daily, Gulf News on the entertainment beat. She holds a master's degree from the University of Southern California. In her free time, she loves to bake, read, watch soccer or go on hikes.
