After operating for more than seven years without a formal space of its own developing popular events like the San Diego Black Film Festival and the Holiday Jazz & Blues Festival in Downtown San Diego, the Black Historical Society of San Diego recently signed a 10-year lease with a 5-year option for a 2,800-square-foot facility, located at 740 Market St. in Downtown’s East Village.
The facility will house archives from the Black Historical Society of San Diego, a research and genealogy room, offices, meeting space and museum space featuring both permanent and rotating exhibits, according to Karen Huff-Willis, chairman of the Black Historical Society of San Diego.
“Estábamos muy emocionados, ya sabes. Habíamos estado buscando el espacio adecuado durante realmente un par de años”, dijo. “Nos acomodamos en el espacio correcto en 7th [Avenue] y Market [Street] y estamos muy emocionados. Hay mucho espacio para la expansión”.
Huff-Willis explicó que la exhibición permanente del museo presentaría la historia afroamericana en San Diego.
“When you walk in, one of the first things you’ll do is you’ll get an overview of the history of blacks all over San Diego County, from Downtown to Julian,” she said. “They’ll be photographs, they’ll be artifacts, you know. It’s exciting, and of course, when you go into the back, into the exhibit hall, that’s where we’ll have traveling exhibitions coming through.”
The rotating exhibits will feature a variety of topics including ancient nubians and blacks in the military, Huff-Willis said.
La instalación también albergará la tienda de regalos Mabel Rowe, que venderá camisetas, jabones, velas, tarjetas, libros, cafés y sándwiches. Los clientes podrán comprar boletos para eventos como el Festival de Cine Negro de San Diego, giras locales y el Festival Holiday Jazz & Blues allí, explicó Huff-Willis.
“Mabel Rowe was a very historic African-American lady in Downtown San Diego, so we decided to name our gift store after her,” she said. “She’s the founder of the Douglas Hotel and the Creole Palace.”
Incluso la nueva ubicación física de la instalación en Market Street tiene un significado histórico para los afroamericanos, explicó Huff-Willis.
“All of that area between 7th and Market, 8th, down to 10th has always been a very important area for African-American businesses, so we’re just happy to be there, a part of that right there on Market Street,” she explained.
Además, a partir de febrero, Huff-Willis mencionó los planes de la Sociedad Histórica Negra para iniciar el Mercado de Agricultores de East Village, que tendrá lugar entre 8th Avenue y Market Street.
“Y vamos a ejecutar eso todos los sábados por la mañana desde las 8 am hasta la 1 pm, para que pueda venir y obtener excelentes productos de nuestro mercado de agricultores”, explicó.
Although grand opening festivities are planned for sometime in April 2008, Huff-Willis said the facility would open to the public at the end of January, just in time for February’s Black History Month.
As for how she sees the new facility impacting the city, Huff-Willis said, “Well I think it’s an important thing for the City of San Diego.
“No solo es importante para la Sociedad Histórica Negra, sino el hecho de que finalmente haya una instalación que albergue a la Sociedad Histórica Negra y un museo de la historia afroamericana de San Diego. Es importante para la ciudad de San Diego en términos de turismo, en términos de eventos relacionados con la cultura”.
In addition to their work downtown, The Black Historical Society also operates the America Newton Gift Shop and the Julian Black Historical Museum in the town of Julian, according to Huff-Willis.
For more information on the new facility and the Black Historical Society of San Diego, go to www.blackhistoricalsociety.org.