By Dr. John E. Warren, Publisher, San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper
This week, the City of San Diego is celebrating the Holiday Bowl, an event created decades ago to bring economic business to this city during an otherwise dead period for tourism on a grand scale. But like all things there is a piece of history contributing to the activities that was added by our African American community more than 25 years ago.
In 1995, more than 25 years ago, San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper owners, John and Gerri Warren, created the Gold Coast Classic which brought Historically Black College and University (HBCUs) Football Bowls to San Diego, California. The big remaining remnant of that era is the Battle of The Bands, which has become one of the big events of the Holiday Bowl.
More than 25 years ago, the Gold Coast Classic launched a full week of events which included a Sunday Pageant to select a King and Queen for the week’s activities while receiving scholarships to the college of their choice; a major gospel concert on Wednesday at the Civic Center for 2500 people; the arrival of 450 people including football teams, bands, coaches and staff from those schools competing in the Saturday Bowl game; a Golf Tournament at Torrey Pines Golf Course with a sponsored luncheon for all players after the tournament; a Coach’s Luncheon at Seaworld on that Friday.
There was also a Black College Fair with representatives from HCBUs. The events were the first of what was to become a tradition in the Battle of the Bands which brought 12,000 people to the San Diego Convention Center while four hundred more were in the USS Kitty Hawk Aircraft Carrier at North Island celebrating a Black Tie Reception for the HBCU school presidents. Budweiser Clydesdale Horses were star participants, and a first-year game between Howard University and Morgan State University saw 25,000 attendees in seats at Qualcomm Stadium. It was Black San Diego that helped sustain this event for almost 10 years, leading up to the California wildfires of 2004 which took their toll on all of us.
This statement is for the generation of San Diegans, and Black San Diegans in particular, who have no knowledge of what many of us did before they were born.
Those of us who set the bar, proclaim that you can do so much more. We didn’t have the internet or a Black San Diego facebook group. But we did have a desire to work together and help one another, So as we go through this Holiday Bowl celebration, which so often does not have many who look like some of us, let’s reflect on what has been done and take the limits off what we can do if we work together and help one another.
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