1001 Black Men #712

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I saw this guy and his family at the Monterey Aquarium. The trip there was wonderful. I was hanging out with my best friend from college, and we had the good fortune to arrive in time to see both of the feedings in the major tank exhibits.

If you haven’t been to the Monterey Aquarium, I strongly recommend that you make a visit. It’s a wonderful facility, and the tanks provide a moving and provocative window into another world. I hope to visit more often, but I was surprised there weren’t more people of African descent there. There were a few Black visitors here and there, but most–like this man and his family–were groups of African immigrants and their children (as opposed to the descendants of U.S. slaves). Indeed, most of the people of color present were family groups made up of immigrants and the children of immigrants. In and of itself, this is pretty cool. Given the demographics of California, I would have been concerned if the only guests of color in attendance were all born in this country. I do, however, hope that more Black descents of U.S. slaves will eventually find their way to this world-class attraction.

Childhood trips to the Metropolitan Museum of Art helped me to fall in love with drawing and painting, and somewhere, some little Black kid is just waiting to fall in love with marine biology. All she needs is her very first visit to Monterey.

Come one, come all!

Ajuan Mance

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