By Malachi Kudura with Voice & Viewpoint Staff
It was one short year ago that City Council President Pro Tem Monica Montgomery Steppe led the San Diego City Council’s unanimous and historic vote to approve the new San Diego Black Arts and Culture District, now located along nine blocks of the Imperial Avenue Corridor between 61st and 69th Streets. On Friday, June 9, 2023, the San Diego African American Museum of Fine Art (SDAAMFA) hosted the San Diego Black Arts and Culture District’s One Year Anniversary celebration at the Second Chance Headquarters on Imperial Avenue.
“The artists will lead this,”proclaimed SDAAMFA Executive Director Gaidi Finnie, to applause from the crowd.
The event gave the community a chance to see the San Diego Black Arts and Culture District (SDBAC) master plans and hear about the vision for the future for the once thriving arts district in the community of Encanto. The new district will put a spotlight on the contributions, history, arts and culture of Black San Diegans and is meant to complement the existing Black culturally significant institutions located throughout the city. Nearby Marie Wideman Park serves as a hidden gem that has recently been re-imagined by local creatives in the area.
SDAAMFA (San Diego African American Museum of Fine) has established a partnership with the New School of Architecture & Design Project Studio.
“We appreciate the opportunity to work with the artists, entrepreneurs, creative businesses, historians, and all who are interested in making this district the vibrant community we know it can be,” said Finnie.
The enthusiasm in the crowd, which included local civic and community leadership from Councilmember Montgomery Steppe to City of San Diego Executive Director for the Arts & Culture Jonathon Glus to San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan, was palpable. There were cheers and laughter as poems were read and high praise was had for the project.
“From kindergarten to sixth grade, I was right down there at Encanto Elementary. The art and culture within our community are integral to our identities. Making this a place where we all belong strengthens our bonds, it boosts our community pride,” said Dr. Akilah Weber Assembly Member, District 79.
San Diego’s Mayor Todd Gloria was also in attendance and had this to say, “Our city is not great without our Black community.”
The San Diego Black Arts + Culture District Advisory Committee, comprised of residents, artists, musicians, educators, non-profits, and business and property owners, meets on the third Tuesday of the month at 6:00 PM at the Second Chance Building located at 6145 Imperial Avenue, San Diego, CA. Meetings are open to the public.
It is clear that The San Diego Black Arts and Culture District project is a great step to reclaiming a community that gave us the Encanto Street Fair.
