By Aryka Randall, Contributing Writer
On Wednesday April 10th, various leaders from the Black community in San Diego gathered together in Balboa Park to discuss The Missing Pieces Project.
Led by the San Diego History Center in partnership with The County of San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce, Community Collector Consultant Wendy McKinney opened the floor to attendees who share an interest in collecting and archiving Black history in San Diego.
During the meeting, Mrs. McKinney shared information on how The Missing Pieces Project plans to pull together the community to archive Black history within San Diego. The project started in February 2024 and will end with a culminating event in February 2025, just in time for Black History Month.
One of the major questions raised was how locals can become more involved with sharing overlooked Black history in San Diego, and why a project like The Missing Piece Project is important to begin with. Why is it important for the Black community in San Diego to know about the history of the community locally?
A number of attendees shared their point of view on how being educated on the history of San Diego has enriched their lives. They also spoke about how to maintain momentum while bringing in new groups of people to help spread the word and collect data and artifacts.
“The first step we want to take to collecting missing pieces is to reactivate the African American Advisory Council which you’re all a part of now whether you realize it or not,” Wendy joked. “Together we can bring together locals and community leaders to make sure our history is preserved here in San Diego.”
The future of The Missing Pieces Project looks promising! If you or someone you know is interested in submitting artifacts to the museum for The Missing Pieces Project or getting in touch with Wendy McKinney, you can do so by contacting the San Diego History Center.
You can also contact Tina Zarpour to submit leads directly! Contact [email protected] for more information.
