Hardy & Cheryl Brown Grand Marshals for the San Bernardino Black History Parade

Hardy & Cheryl Brown Grand Marshals for the San Bernardino Black History Parade

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. —Hardy and Cheryl Brown will serve as grand marshals for the 2026 San Bernardino Black History Parade on Saturday, February 7, at 9:00 am, running along Baseline from Mt. Vernon to California Street, ending at Arryo High School. Hardy Brown was the first Black member of the San Bernardino City Unified School District Board of Education, and he and his wife founded The Black Voice News. Cheryl served as a state assembly member for the City and region.

“We are honored and excited to welcome Hardy and Cheryl Brown as the Grand Marshals of the 47th Annual Black History Parade,” said Black Cultural Foundation President Carl M. Dameron. “The Browns’ contribution to the Inland Empire helped create the political and economic diversity we enjoy today.

“The Executive Committee selected these two exemplary pillars of our community as a tribute to their decades of service. The Browns were instrumental in the operations of The Black Culture Foundation and have served on many committees over the years.”

Hardy Brown Sr. is a prominent figure in the Inland Empire’s African American community, recognized as a dedicated newspaper publisher, philanthropist, and community activist. A deep commitment to social justice, political mobilization, and the preservation of Black history marks his life journey.

Hardy was active with the NAACP and the Inland Empire Urban League. He co-founded the Black Fathers Organization in 1966 to advocate for the integration of Black students into Cajon High School, and he helped establish the Westside Action Group (WAG) in 1972 to mobilize the community and hold politicians accountable. He was also the first Black male president of the San Bernardino City Unified School Board, working to integrate City schools.

Cheryl Brown is an American politician, publisher, and community leader who served in the California State Assembly, representing the 47th Assembly District from 2012 to 2016. A Democrat, Brown has dedicated the majority of her life to public service, earning recognition from numerous local, state, and national organizations for her work.

A lifelong entrepreneur, Brown and her husband, Hardy, purchased the Black Voice News in 1980, focusing on local news in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. They have been married for 63 years. The Browns were recognized as the only living publishers included in the 175th anniversary celebration of the Black Press of America. Their daughter, Dr. Paulette Brown-Hines, now owns and operates the newspaper.

Black History Parade Details:

· Online parade registration: until January 31, 2026: bit.ly/42SxzcJ

· Date: Saturday, February 7, 2026

· Starts: at Graciano Gomez Elementary School

· Check-in: 7:00 am, Arroyo Valley High School

· Ends: Arroyo Valley High School

· Contact: Russel Ward Russ.ward33@gmail.com

· Route: Baseline Ave. and Mt. Vernon to California Street

Photo Caption: Last year’s grand marshal float included the Black Rose Award winners. (L–R): Inland Empire NCNW President Amy Malone, Black Rose Winner Rev. Chuck Singleton, John Salley’s daughter, and Grand Marshal NBA basketball legend John Salley, riding on the float designed and built by James Baker.

“The Black History Parade, a cherished tradition since 1968, will proceed along Baseline Avenue from Mt. Vernon to California Street in Westside San Bernardino, uplifting the community with its vibrant energy and cultural importance,” said Dameron.

Parade coordinator Russel Ward said, “Five marching bands are set to perform. The Cardinal Marching Band from San Bernardino High School will lead the parade. The marching bands from San Gorgonio High School, Indian Springs High School, and Arroyo Valley High School will end the parade and lead us all to Arrowhead Vista High School for the festival.

“Cheer squads from Arrowview Middle School, Chavez Middle School, Curtis Middle School, Del Vallejo Middle School, Emmerton Elementary School, Fairfax Elementary School, Indian Springs High School, King Middle School, Lytle Creek Elementary School, Marshall Elementary School, Paakumá Elementary, Rio Vista Elementary School, San Gorgonio High School and Urbita Elementary School will perform, along with Steppers from Fairfax Elementary and Cajon High,” added Ward.

Black History Festival Details:

Online Parade and Festival registration: till January 31, 2026

· bit.ly/42SxzcJ

· Date: Saturday, February 7, 2026

· Time: 3:00 pm, after the parade until 3:00 pm.

· Location: Arroyo High School, 1881 W. Base Line St., San Bernardino

· Set Up: 8:00 am, Arroyo Valley High School

· Tear Down: 3:00 pm, Arroyo Valley High School

· Ends: Arroyo Valley High School

· Contact: Vickie Davis blackontheblock.missd@gmail.com

“The festival will be a lively celebration with a wonderful mix of vendors, performers, and community groups. Visitors will have the chance to indulge in delicious food, explore cultural arts, and enjoy live shows featuring comedians, dancers, and singers,” said Dameron.

About the Black Culture Foundation

The Black Culture Foundation's purpose “...is to foster an interest and a greater understanding of Black culture, to heighten community awareness of the accomplishments of Black people, past and present, and to plan, coordinate and direct an annual Black History Month parade and related cultural activities...and bridge the gaps across cultural lines by bringing the local community together to celebrate this event in unity.”

For more information about the Black Culture Foundation, go to SBBCFoundation.org.

Photo Caption: Last year’s grand marshal float included the Black Rose Award winners. (L–R): Inland Empire NCNW President Amy Malone, Black Rose Winner Rev. Chuck Singleton, John Salley’s daughter, and Grand Marshal NBA basketball legend John Salley, riding on the float designed and built by James Baker.

See bios below

Hardy Brown Biography

Publisher/Philanthropist/Community Activist

Hardy Brown Sr. is a prominent community builder, activist, and entrepreneur with a long history of impactful work in San Bernardino, California, and his native Trenton, North Carolina. Born in Trenton to sharecropper parents who were active community organizers, Brown developed an early commitment to social justice, voter leagues, and the NAACP.

Education and Professional Career

Brown graduated from Jones High School in Trenton, NC, in 1960. He continued his education at San Bernardino Valley College (SBVC) in the 1960s, initially studying drafting while working at Kaiser Steel and holding various part-time jobs to support his young family. While working as a garage attendant/chauffeur for California Electric and Edison (1963-1970), he shifted his focus to management studies.

His educational achievements include:

• Industrial Supervision Management Certificate from SBVC (1965)
• Discrimination Law Certificate from USC School of Law (1975)
• Certificate in Public Employment Merit System from UCLA
• Studies in Business Management at Johnston College on the University of Redlands campus (1974-1976)
• An honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from CSUSB (2014)

Brown left Edison in 1970 to join the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program in Fontana. During his 30 years at Kaiser, he held several management positions across the Southern California Region, including Director of Outreach and Training, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Coordinator, and Assistant Personnel Director. He was also a successful business owner, founding Hardy Brown Consultant and Associates in the early 1970s, specializing in EEO and Affirmative Action.

Media Entrepreneurship and Advocacy

In 1980, Hardy Brown acquired Black Voice News and established Brown Publishing Company. This business is now owned and operated by his daughter, Dr. Paulette Brown Hinds. To complement the business, he founded the Black Voice Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to community charity, directed by Hardy Brown II. He also founded California Black Media, an organization that advocates for Black-owned newspapers, magazines, and radio stations, which is now operated by his daughter, Regina Brown Wilson.

Community and Civic Engagement

Significant contributions to education, civil rights, and local governance mark Hardy Brown’s extensive community service record:

• NAACP Leadership: In 1981, after the school district closed schools in the Black community, Brown, as the past president of the San Bernardino Branch NAACP, filed a lawsuit with the NAACP. After losing the suit, he successfully ran for the school board.
• San Bernardino City Unified Board of Education: Hardy was the first Black male President of the Board, serving for 12 years, reopening an elementary school, renaming it in honor of Dr. Howard Inghram, a Black physician, and transforming it into a magnet school. He also served nine years on the Classified Personnel Commission.
• Public Service Commissions: Brown was the first African American to serve on both the San Bernardino County Civil Service Commission and the Juvenile Justice Commission. He also served on the San Bernardino City Police Commission, where he was the first Black person to chair the Commission.
• Political Advocacy: He is a founding member of the Inland Empire Black Democratic Club (1978) and the Westside Action Group (WAG) (1972). He also provided political advice to Kamala Harris during her initial run for California Attorney General.
• Church Affiliation: A devoted church member, Brown has taught Sunday school and Bible classes for over 42 years at various churches, including St. Paul AME Church in San Bernardino.

Honors and Recognition

Brown has received numerous accolades for his dedication:

• Received a $1,000 award from Brown and Williamson Tobacco Company for anti-gang efforts in 1989, which he donated to charity.
• Selected with Cheryl Brown as one of 12 “Gallery of Great Publishers” by the National Newspaper Publishers Association in 2002.

Illness: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS),

· Despite his ALS, which he has had for the past 22 years, he remains active in community and family affairs. He offers political advice to those who seek it and provides political endorsements through the Voice and Black Voice News newspapers.

· Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive neurological disorder that attacks motor neurons, causing them to die, which leads to gradual muscle weakness, twitching and eventual paralysis, affecting voluntary movements like walking, talking, swallowing and breathing, with no cure but treatments to manage symptoms and slow decline, eventually leading to respiratory failure as the primary cause of death.

Cheryl Brown and her husband, Hardy Sr., have been married for 63 years and raised four children in San Bernardino: Lynn, Paulette, Hardy Jr., and Regina. They have nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

You can read his Opinion Columns here: theievoice.com/author/hardy-brown-sr/

Cheryl Brown Biography

Publisher/Assemblymember/Philanthropist/Community Activist

Cheryl Renee Brown is a former Assemblywoman, publisher, small business owner, and current California State Commissioner on Aging who has devoted most of her life to public service. Cheryl Brown has been recognized by countless local, state, and national organizations for her work on behalf of the community in various capacities.

From 2012 to 2016, Cheryl Brown served in the California State Assembly, representing California's 47th District, which included the cities of Colton, Fontana, Grand Terrace, Rialto, and San Bernardino, as well as the unincorporated areas of Bloomington and Muscoy.

Before election to the Legislature, Cheryl Brown served on the San Bernardino County and City Planning Commissions for 17 years. Her achievements included authoring the first mining ordinance in San Bernardino County and directing the Auto Club Speedway through the environmental review process. She saved the historic Bloomington Garage. During her tenure as a commissioner, she was elected President of the California County Planning Commissioners Association.

As an active community member, Cheryl Brown has worked with groups such as the Inland Empire Urban League, Kiwanis, Arrowhead United Way, YWCA, and San Gorgonio Girl Scout Council. She has served as President of the Inland Empire Chapter of NCNW (National Council of Negro Women). her church, the San Bernardino St. Paul A.M.E., where. Before her election to the assembly, she served as a trustee and was a past president of the San Bernardino County NAACP. Cheryl Brown has spearheaded local events, including Take a Cop to Lunch, the Bill Pickett Rodeo, and the Underground Railroad Field Study Program.

In addition to decades of public service, Cheryl Brown has been a small-business owner for over 41 years. In 1980, she and her husband, Hardy Brown Sr., bought the Black Voice News. The newspaper is published weekly and focuses on local news in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The Browns were recognized as the only living publishers included in the Black Press of America's 175th anniversary. The Black Voice is now owned by the Browns’ daughter, Dr. Paulette Brown-Hinds.

Cheryl Brown's journalism experience includes serving as a television talk-show host for 12 years on local-access television, KCSB Channel 3, appearing as a guest on Burden of Proof, MSNBC, the Brian Williams Show, and Channel 11 Fox News. For many years, she provided color commentary for both San Bernardino’s and Riverside’s Black History parades.

Their successes led them to create California Black Media (CBM) in 2001. CBM is a network of 22 African American newspapers and media enterprises across California. The organization has served as a statewide initiative to inform better, educate, and advocate for the African American community, as well as help promote minority-owned news organizations.

She has been a champion for older adults, serving for many years on the California Commission on Aging, and authored legislation to establish a Caregiving Taskforce at USC.

In and out of elected office, Cheryl Brown has always been a champion of family-owned small businesses. The pride and community benefits of owning a small business were instilled in her by her father, Marvin, a WWII veteran who started a tax preparation business in Southern California over 60 years ago. Today, that business is run by Chery’s older brother.

Following her father’s lead, Cheryl Brown and her husband, Hardy Sr., have been married for 63 years and have raised four children in San Bernardino: Lynn, Paulette, Hardy Jr., and Regina, who have blessed their parents with 9 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.

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