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Description

The San Diego Black History Tour is a project by the graduate students in the History program at California State University San Marcos. The tour maps some key sites in the history of African Americans in the city and county of San Diego. It starts at the sites of the first Black fire station and the oldest Black church in San Diego, Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church. From the early through the middle of the twentieth century, Black San Diegans lived in segregated communities in downtown and Logan Heights. This tour will include sites of several early Black businesses including several of the Douglas Hotel and its nightclub which hosted some of the most famous Black musicians of the heyday of American jazz. The first Black own and operated WWII defense plant owned in the nation, the Pacific Parachute Company, is another important landmark and it still stands. Please be sure to also consider a 15th entry created by the class, beyond San Diego in the town of Julian. This entry can be found in Clio by searching either by location (enter Julian, CA) or for the Robinson Hotel. This hotel was one of the first Black businesses in San Diego County and is only beyond this tour owing to its location.