Local News
Give the man a grave marker, supporters say: Bakersfield's first Black valedictorian is anonymous at Union Cemetery
KGET 17 News · May 30, 2026

He was a businessman, a model citizen and Bakersfield High School’s first African American valedictorian. And how do we remember Henry Edward Simpson today? The answer: Not very well.
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Read full story at KGET 17 News