The Isla Vista Recreation & Park District, in collaboration with other organizations, hosted “Forward Ever, Backward Never” in celebration of Black History Month on Feb. 25 at the Isla Vista Community Center. The event consisted of trivia, spoken word, a drum circle and music performances.

The event’s motto this year was, “Come enjoy the music, the free food and the vibes and celebrate the culture and the excellence we have here.” Declan McFarland / Daily Nexus

The event was also hosted in collaboration with the Office of Black Student Development (OBSD), the Black Student Union (BSU) and the performing band, The Rahkas.

The event began with a remembrance of Sojourner Kincaid Rolle and Elroy Pinks, who helped bring the event to life five years ago. Pinks was a former OBSD director who passed away in July 2024. Kincaid Rolle was a poet and playwright involved in the celebration and passed away in 2023. 

“[Pinks and Kincaid Rolle] are people who fought for us to continue this. Being able to honor them and honor the legacy as a whole is why these events are so important,” UC Santa Barbara alum Jaz Gates said. “We are not going back to where we were before, we are going to keep moving forward.” 

Oscar Ramirez, recreation coordinator for Isla Vista Recreation & Park District (IVRPD), emphasized the importance of the event as a celebration of culture, excellence and leadership in Santa Barbara and I.V.

“This is just something that we want to be able to honor right now,” Ramirez said.

Ramirez said the event’s motto this year was, “Come enjoy the music, the free food and the vibes and celebrate the culture and the excellence we have here.” 

Community members, students and families gathered to celebrate Black history and culture. Declan McFarland / Daily Nexus

The Rahkas, who performed at the event, are a local Santa Barbara reggae-jazz band. The lead vocalist and flute player, Alla McKeon, helped co-found the celebration five years ago. 

Dylan Williams, a third-year sociology major, represented the OBSD and attended the event to share Black history on UCSB’s campus. According to Williams, OBSD serves as a place for Black students to get support and academic counseling, as well as a space to study.  

“[Forward Ever, Backward Never] shows how much we’ve progressed. The department to even be what it is is outstanding considering what it took to get there and the history that came before,” Williams said. 

UCSB has a long history of activism by Black students. According to the OBSD website, in 1968, 16 BSU members took over North Hall and barricaded themselves inside. The students were fighting for their voices to be heard by campus administrators and called for the implementation of a Black Studies Department at UCSB and equality across campus, among other things. 

Gates was a member of the BSU and helped coordinate events like “Forward Ever, Backward Never” during her time at UCSB. 

“We are able to be in a space where we can openly celebrate and honor and be proud of being Black, which is something that our ancestors have been fighting for for so many years,” Gates said. “It is so important to have these spaces to preserve history and preserve culture.”

Anna Fiora, a third-year financial mathematics and statistics major, attended the event for the first time.

“It’s a great place to see the community here and share some food and some good times. But also to respect how we got here,” Fiora said.

Community members, students and families gathered to celebrate Black history and culture. Gates said, “It is so important to have these spaces to preserve history and preserve culture.”

A version of this article appeared on p. 6 of the March 5, 2026 edition of the Daily Nexus.