Santa Barbara African American/Black
Historic Context Statement

Together with our local consulting partner, Healing Justice Santa Barbara (HJSB), Page & Turnbull prepared the Santa Barbara African American/Black community Historic Context Statement (HCS). The City and local activists secured a Certified Local Government (CLG) grant for the HCS to facilitate the designation of historic sites important to the African American/Black community. The HCS is one of the critical ways to support and recognize the contributions of Santa Barbara’s African American and Black community.

The HCS offers a historical overview of the community’s growth and development primarily at the east side of the city, along with thematic contexts that shaped its physical environment. These include patterns of migration and settlement; residential enclaves and housing patterns; commercial development; social, fraternal, and community groups, religious organizations; civil rights; artistic and cultural contributions, among others. HJSB, a Black women-led collaborative of local activists and historians, hosted community conversations and workshops and gathered input from community members who shared memories and experiences that supplement and enrich archival research.