Preparations for local Black History Month events begin

From live performances to the 36th Annual Black History Parade and Town Fair, there are plenty of ways to celebrate this month. Find more details about the Black History Month events you can attend this month here.

The Palm Springs Drill Team and Drum Squad are kicking off local Black History Month festivities with a performance at the Palm Springs Art Museum on Thursday, Feb. 2. 

Annjohnette Collins, the Program Coordinator at James O. Jessie Desert Highland Unity Center says the event shows the importance of giving back and staying connected.

“We have kids from Desert Hot Springs. We have kids from Indio. We're just building a bigger community among all these different children that's coming from the valley,” Collins said. 

When she’s not teaching her kids cool moves, Collins says she takes time to teach them about important moments and figures in Black history that they may not learn about in school.

“We talked about James O. Jesse Senior. We talked about all these different things that our local heroes have done to build up our Black community.”

Indio councilmember Waymond Fermon will be honored at the 36th annual Black History Awards Gala on Saturday, Feb. 4 for his efforts to uplift the local black community, along with other prominent leaders like Mayor Grace Garner and Timothy Bradley Jr.

“It's an honor for your peers to recognize the work that you've done, especially as an African American man, and first African American mayor of the City of Indio,” said Fermon. 

Fermon says that celebrating local leaders highlights the work that has been done and the progress that needs to be made. 

“I think it's incumbent upon me to really work with my colleagues in educating our community. In the contributions of African Americans,” said Fermon. 

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing coverage on Black History Month events across the valley.