Many influential people have shaped the landscape of our country within the parks and recreation industry. As we celebrate Black History Month, we would like to highlight a few trailblazers that have contributed to parks, recreation and overall building healthy communities!
Dr. Carter G. Woodson
In 1926, Dr. Carter G. Woodson began a weeklong celebration that has since grown into an entire month dedicated to remembering Black Americans' achievements, contributions, resilience, and legacies. Learn More.
Betty Reid Soskin
Betty Reid Soskin, who turned 100 on September 22, 2021, is the oldest active ranger in the National Park Service. She has become an icon of the service. She also founded one of the first Black-owned record stores in the California Bay Area in 1945. Learn More.
Chris Silva
Chris Silva became the first Black athlete to earn a spot on the USA Swimming National Team. Silva was also the first Black swimmer to represent the United States in international competition at the 1983 World University Games. Silva became the Director of Minority Programs at the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1990.
Earl Lloyd
On October 31, 1950, 21-year-old Earl Lloyd became the first African American to play in an NBA game in the season opener for the Washington Capitols. In 2003, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
James Holmes
"Carrying the baton of commitment, James Holmes became the first African American National Park ranger when he began his career at Booker T. Washington National Monument in May of 1958. Four years later, over 40 African American seasonal rangers from Historically Black Colleges joined him in fulfilling the mission of the agency."
- Dr. Turkiya L. Lowe
In 2017, Dr. Turkiya L. Lowe became the first woman and first African American to be the National Park Service's Chief Historian and Deputy Federal Preservation Officer.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
January 13 – February 19 · Thursdays – Saturdays · 3 – 8 p.m.
This exhibit honors the history of Black Americans and the events that occurred during the Civil Rights Movement.
February 3 - 19 • Thursdays – Saturdays • 3 – 8 p.m.
Learn about the importance and history of quilts in Black American history at this unique exhibition.