WHAT:                Southridge Tech Middle School eighth-grader and community leader Cyrus Moss, who led the effort in the successful renaming of O’Day Short Elementary School to pay tribute to the Short family and formally recognize their place in Fontana’s civil rights history, has been selected to serve as Grand Marshal for the 58th Annual San Bernardino County Black History Parade & Expo.

WHEN:                Saturday, Feb. 28
Parade start time – 10 a.m.

Expo start time – Noon

 

WHERE:              Parade: Starts at the intersection of Summit and Citrus avenues and continues south toward Sierra Lakes Parkway.

Expo: Home Depot, 16005 Sierra Lakes Parkway, Fontana

DETAILS:             In 2024, while still an elementary school student, Moss successfully petitioned the Fontana Board of Education to rename Randall Pepper Elementary School to O’Day Short Elementary School, honoring the family that broke Fontana’s color barrier in 1945. All four family members perished after their house burst into flames. In 1950, Randall Pepper Elementary was built on the same site. After Moss learned the story, he worked to ensure the Short family’s legacy was honored, culminating in the successful renaming of the school to honor the family and recognize the history of the land.