by Dianne Anderson

Event organizers are flexing their skills and cranking up Black History energy to pull off one of the community’s longest running festivities around.

The 46th Annual Riverside Black History Month Parade and Expo has a lot of moving parts, with a full day of drill teams, school marching bands, city and county elected officials, car and motorcycle clubs, award-winning food.

And don’t forget Tommy the Clown.

On Saturday, February 14, the fun breaks out in Downtown Riverside Pedestrian Mall, starting at 10:00 a.m. near Riverside City College, attracting thousands along Main Street.

Russell Ward is running the show, which he has worked on since the year after it started, back when he was just a high school freshman.

He said it never gets old.

This year, a salute to education takes center stage. Academic leadership will roll down the street alongside city council, bands, car clubs, and at least five of the Divine 9.

“Instead of Grand Marshals, we have several educators that have proven themselves in the community over the years,” said Ward. “We have the interim president at RCC. We have the Riverside Unified School District superintendent slated to be in the parade as well.”

“The city council and RUSD are riding the fire truck, the car club is always involved,” he said. “We have a lot of the high schools participating. I have a contact with the Heritage [Program] in the schools in RUSD, and participation of several bands, Poly and North, for sure.”

Dell Roberts, who started the parade back in 1980, said they continue the legacy by bringing together people who are passionate about the community and give their all for the cause.

This year, he feels the parade is special because it features something that is close to his heart.

Education is in the spotlight, and it was also his lifetime career.

Back in the day, Roberts was known for his role as counselor, advocate, and mentor at Riverside Polytechnic High School, where he was also seen as a disciplinarian, but in a good way.

Instead of pushing troubled kids deeper into the system, he redirected them to get the help they needed. In a world where Black kids are always in somebody’s office for punishment, he said it was a novel approach.

“I hate the system that puts the paperwork on children because 90% of the children will turn around at some point. All children do something against the grain in school, that’s the nature of children. If it was not serious, I saw no need to brand them for life with paperwork on their file,” he said.

For that reason, this year’s featured guests were handpicked to show appreciation for their role as educators and knowledge of how to reach the kids, especially this generation, who require a lot of energy to keep up.

He said the kids are intuitive about when adults are looking out for their best interest, or not.

“They take a lot of nurturing,” he said. “You have to give them a purpose and be concerned for them. Kids pick it up right away. If they walk into a classroom, they can tell if it’s a negative vibe and they carry it through the day and through their lives.”

Roberts also started the Black Student Union in the region in 1968. Eventually, he linked it up with northern and central California, pulling about 1,500 Black students to his conferences. He was inspired by UCR’s effort.

“In fact, they were doing some revolutionary things. I copied some of what they were doing and established BSU in this area, and expanded it throughout the whole southern area,” he said.

For the event, he is excited to showcase educators with a proven track record, and he is also grateful for the support that comes down to keep the event going, but it’s hard to wrap his head around how much the costs have grown.

Sometimes he can’t wrap his head around the dollar amount.

“Now, it costs us $7,000 just to barricade the streets and direct traffic, that’s ridiculous. The first parade I did, the city council gave us $250. Now it’s $20,000 just to do a parade.”

Other events around town are also mixing culture, celebration, student engagement, and community connections throughout February.

As part of the upcoming programming, the Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California is hosting the “Out in the I.E.” exhibition. This exploration of regional LGBTQ+ history is open Wednesday through Friday, from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., and runs through June 30.

On Wednesday, February 4, UCR’s Black History Month kicks off with a midday Lunch and Learn from 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the School of Medicine, Education Building II, Room 205. It blends historical insight with professional development. That event is followed by a Unity Hour from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Costo Hall, where African Student Programs and Chicano Student Programs join for community-centered reflections.

On Thursday, February 19, 2026, RCC’s Black Faculty and Staff Association (BFSA) hosts its formal Black Tie fundraiser, “An Evening of Purpose,” from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Center for Social Justice and Civil Liberties, located at 3855 Market St. Tickets are $75 on Eventbrite, celebrating Black excellence and campus initiatives.

The month ends on a high note on Saturday, February 28, at 6:00 p.m., with the UCR Black Alumni Chapter’s “Preserving Black Brilliance” celebration, gala and scholarship fundraiser at the Alumni and Visitors Center honors distinguished alumni, including Aundraya Williams and Dr. Aaron Jones.

For more information:

On the Black History Parade and other events, https://adcrfoundation.org/

For UCR Black History and ASP events, see https://asp.ucr.edu/events