Black History Month at the California State Archives
Although the month of February has been celebrated as Black History Month since at least 1970, African Americans have been making history for centuries. In fact, California’s Black men and women have been making history, in some cases, since before California was even a state. Some of these individuals and their stories can be found among the treasures of the California State Archives, a Division of the Secretary of State’s Office. Civil rights pioneers, entrepreneurs, politicians and other trailblazers have left their mark not only on California history, but upon the records of the State Archives. Their stories serve to inspire, inform and illuminate the rich history of African Americans in California.