Maya Johnson ‘24 (CCS Writing & Literature) Explores Central Coast Black History in Santa Barbara Independent

CCS alumna published a narrative feature investigating demographic decline, generational change, and cultural belonging

The College of Creative Studies (CCS) alumna Maya Johnson ‘24 (CCS Writing & Literature) recently published a narrative feature in the Santa Barbara Independent, reflecting on the city’s dwindling Black presence and the search for cultural belonging in a place where Black residents have long been underrepresented.

In “Looking for Santa Barbara’s Black Community,” Johnson combines historical census data and archival research with lived experiences including both herself and other Black Santa Barbara residents. Through use of both personal reflection and journalistic reporting, she explores themes of upward mobility, generational transition, and the diminishing presence of neighborhood institutions such as salons and soul food restaurants.

In one interview with longtime resident Tanya Spears Guiliacci, Johnson recalls a conversation inspired by their mutual experiences of displacement:

“As we shared a quiet moment of connection, reminiscing about culture and what it means to be Black in a city where there are so few, we asked ourselves: Where has the Black community in Santa Barbara gone?” Johnson writes, “This was the question I sought to answer.”

“Where has the Black community in Santa Barbara gone? This was the question I sought to answer.”

—Maya Johnson ‘24 (CCS Writing & Literature)

Read the full piece in the Santa Barbara Independent, February 12, 2026.