February, the month for Valentine’s Day hearts, flowers and candy, and the month for heart health care awareness, also is the month for another observance: It’s Black History Month.

This celebration has evolved in San Diego into a series of activities designed to recognize the contributions of black Americans.

The national observance, first a designated week, then a month, began in the 1920s, promoted by scholar Dr. Carter G. Woodson. February was chosen because it contained the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, who wrote “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave,” now a classic in American history.

This year, as in past Februaries, San Diego Metropolitan found a variety of hard-working, optimistic residents dedicated to bettering the lives of all San Diegans. Here they are.

Jeannie and Jimmy Cheatham	Dr. Rodney Hood	Dee Sanford
David G. Turner	Sherry Thompson	Leon Brooks