DSA Night School
March 25, 2024
California has been a free state since it was established in 1850, but did you know that San Diego is full of monuments to the Confederacy and racist leaders from faraway slave states? Many have been—and are in the process of being—removed and renamed in recent years.
In this presentation, DSA San Diego’s Education Committee guides you through the process of renaming these monuments. Here is the worksheet mentioned in the video that you can use when you want to rename a monument.
Sources & Further Reading
Books
Marjorie Trusted and Joanna Barnes, ed. Toppling Statues. Public Statues and Sculpture Association. 2021
Thompson, Erin L. Smashing Statues: The Rise and Fall of America’s Public Monuments. WW Norton. 2022.
By Topic
Slavery
https://dsasandiego.org/library/night-school/san-diego-slavery-2023
Slave Castles
https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/features/Elmina-Deserves-World-s-Attention-97017
Slave Traders and Masters
Columbus
http://www.teachingheart.net/columbus.htm
Carteret
https://jerseyeveningpost.com/news/2020/06/09/slave-traders-statue-is-targeted-by-protesters
https://www.bailiwickexpress.com/jsy/news/watch-carteret-statue-covered-paint
Outline
Leopold
https://karmacolonialism.org/the-chocolate-hands-of-belgium
Other Oppressors
Trevelyan
Monuments
https://www.splcenter.org/whose-heritage
Thompson, Erin. Why Just ‘Adding Context’ to Controversial Monuments May Not Change Minds. Smithsonian Magazine. (December 18, 2020)
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/why-just-adding-context-controversial-monument-may-not-change-minds-180976583
Stone Mountain
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gutzon_Borglum
Rushmore
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gutzon_Borglum
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/rushmore-borglum
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Roosevelt#War_in_Cuba
Teddy Roosevelt
https://fearey.agency/teddy-roosevelt-publicist-in-chief
Lincoln
https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/stories/the-largest-mass-execution-in-us-history
George Floyd Removals
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_name_changes_due_to_the_George_Floyd_protests
Nearly 100 Confederate Monuments Removed In 2020, Report Says; More Than 700 Remain
https://www.npr.org/2021/02/23/970610428/nearly-100-confederate-monuments-removed-in-2020-report-says-more-than-700-remai
Racist Monuments in San Diego
Robert E. Lee school name changed (2016)
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/education/sdut-robert-e-lee-is-history-2016may23-story.html
San Diego’s Other Confederate Memorial Sits in a City-Owned Cemetery (2017)
https://voiceofsandiego.org/2017/08/18/meet-s-d-s-other-confederate-memorial/
Plaque in Honor of Confederate President Jefferson Davis Removed from San Diego Park (2017)
https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/plaque-to-confederate-president-jefferson-davis-removed-from-san-diego-park/22644
Confederate plaque in San Diego has history of controversy, repeated removals
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/sd-me-confederate-monument-20170816-story.htm
Jefferson Davis Confederate Plaque Removed from Horton Plaza Park
https://timesofsandiego.com/politics/2017/08/16/jefferson-davis-confederate-plaque-removed-horton-plaza-park
Horton Plaza plaque honoring Confederate president Jefferson Davis removed
https://www.kusi.com/horton-plaza-plaque-honoring-confederate-president-jefferson-davis-removed
Confederate marker removed from San Diego’s Horton Plaza
https://www.10news.com/news/confederate-marker-removed-from-horton-plaza
Op-Ed: California finally sweeps away most of its tributes to the Confederacy. What took so long?
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2020-09-20/california-confederacy-monuments-fall
San Diego Leaders Defend Removal Of Jefferson Davis Plaque
https://www.iheart.com/content/2017-08-17-san-diego-leaders-defend-removal-of-jefferson-davis-plaque/
The largest Confederate monument in America can’t be taken down: It has to be renamed, state by state.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/made-by-history/wp/2017/08/22/the-largest-confederate-monument-in-america-cant-be-taken-down/
San Diego removes plaque honoring Confederate leader Jefferson Davis
https://fox5sandiego.com/news/san-diego-removes-plaque-honoring-confederate-leader-jefferson-davis/
Daughters of the Confederacy
https://kevo1.weebly.com/blog/history-336c-final-the-stonewall-jackson-chapter-476
https://sites.rootsweb.com/~casjcudc
2008 Local Daughters of the Confederacy chapter hosts annual luncheon
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-local-daughters-of-the-confederacy-chapter-hosts-2008jan24-story.html
Other Memorials
Mission Education
Fourth grade mission model project could be history
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/communities/north-county/sd-me-mission-model-20170915-story.html
Editorial: Good riddance to California’s ‘mission project’
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-california-mission-models-20170919-story.html
Indian Labor at the California Missions Slavery or Salvation?
https://sandiegohistory.org/journal/1978/april/labor
B. Bruce Anderson Memorial Flag, Long Valley, NJ
Rename 92115
Campaign
Petition Circulates to have Andrew Jackson Post Office in San Diego Renamed (June 21, 2020)
https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/petition-circulates-to-have-andrew-jackson-post-office-in-san-diego-renamed/509-d826b541-5895-47e0-8134-397c64824082
Petition Calls for Name Change at Andrew Jackson Post Office in Rolando (June 22, 2020)
https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/petition-calls-for-name-change-at-andrew-jackson-post-office-in-rolando/2351966
Petition to rename the Andrew Jackson Post Office in El Cajon circulates online (June 24, 2020)
https://youtu.be/wmflspoazzs
Junipero Serra High School, Andrew Jackson post station, and the importance of who we choose to honor (March 12, 2021)
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/columnists/story/2021-03-12/column-junipero-serra-high-school-andrew-jackson-post-station-and-the-importance-of-who-we-choose-to-honor
Rep. Jacobs Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Rename Post Office After Susan Davis (November 19, 2022)
https://timesofsandiego.com/politics/2022/11/19/rep-sara-jacobs-introduces-bipartisan-bill-to-rename-rolando-post-office-after-ex-san-diego-rep-susan-davis/
H.R.9308 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 6401 El Cajon Boulevard in San Diego, California, as the “Susan A. Davis Post Office”.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/9308/all-actions
Biden OKs renaming of Rolando post office after former Rep. Susan Davis (2022)
https://www.10news.com/news/local-news/san-diego-news/biden-oks-renaming-of-rolando-post-office-after-former-rep-susan-davis
Rolando post office renamed for longtime San Diego lawmaker Susan Davis (July 6, 2023)
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/story/2023-07-06/rolando-post-office-susan-davis
Ceremony Renames Andrew Jackson Post Office for Susan A. Davis (July 7, 2023)
https://www.sdjewishworld.com/2023/07/07/ceremony-renames-andrew-jackson-post-office-for-susan-a-davis/
Petition Demands Andrew Jackson Name Be Removed from the New Susan A. Davis Post Office Branch in Rolando Neighborhood of San Diego (July 8, 2023)
https://www.sdjewishworld.com/2023/07/08/petition-demands-andrew-jackson-name-be-removed-from-susan-a-davis-post-office-branch
Petition: Remove Andrew Jackson Signage from Susan Davis Post Office
https://www.change.org/p/remove-andrew-jackson-signage-from-susan-davis-post-office
Andrew Jackson
H.W. Brands at Rancho Mirage Writers Festival
https://youtu.be/3uvghITrmqw
Wrestling with Jackson
https://www.nashvillescene.com/news/coverstory/wrestling-with-jackson/article_8e32212e-06b2-5755-87fc-c736183f39de.html
Abolitionist literature and the mails in Jackson’s time
https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1478&context=studentwork
King Andrew the First
https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2008661753
Susan A. Davis
Miscellaneous
Naming Post Offices Through Legislation
https://www.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/CRSreport12282012.pdf
Not OK with Clay
Campaign
Parents ask to rename Henry Clay Elementary School (March 14, 2023)
https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/working-for-you/parents-want-henry-clay-elementary-school-name-changed/509-7dc95602-41ca-4fd4-b52e-01098f64c50f
Parents say local school shouldn’t be named after slave owner (May 22, 2023)
https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/working-for-you/parents-say-school-shouldnt-be-named-after-slave-owner/509-51a0f6d5-446d-4baf-bc0b-e0aa394c0b1d
San Diego Unified School District, Board of Education Meeting (May 16, 2023)
https://www.youtube.com/live/QqUXBJrT_l4?si=abItt2u5sBYbJ6sa
NotOkWithClay Letter to the Board (March 2024)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pQgDI2da72_dlW4l7R86m5F0LWR4dr-lRv5MHSxuS24/edit
For a year, parents pushed to rename Henry Clay Elementary. But the new name, some say, is ‘insulting.’ (March 17, 2024)
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/education/story/2024-03-17/san-diego-unified-withdraws-proposed-new-name-for-clay-elementary-amid-parent-concerns
Henry Clay
The Day Henry Clay Refused to Compromise
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-day-henry-clay-refused-to-compromise-153589853
Henry Clay and Slavery
https://henryclay.org/henry-clay/henry-clay-and-slavery
People Enslaved at Ashland
https://henryclay.org/mansion-grounds/enslaved-people-at-ashland
Slideshow Sources
Slide 2:
Top: © Erik B. Anderson, 2021
Middle: © Erik B. Anderson, 2021
Slide 3:
Slide 4:
Family Photos
Left: © Erik B. Anderson, 2014
Middle: © Erik B. Anderson, 2013
Right: © Erik B. Anderson, 2009
Slide 5:
Anderson Family Photos, 1980s and early 2000s
Troop 236 James E. West Fellowship Award, Summer 2002
Slide 6:
Anderson Family Photo
B. Bruce Anderson Memorial Flag, Palmer Park, 2008
Slide 7:
Left: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SirGeorgeCarteret.jpg
Right: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Carteret_Seal.png
Slide 8:
https://jerseyeveningpost.com/news/2020/06/09/slave-traders-statue-is-targeted-by-protesters
https://www.bailiwickexpress.com/jsy/news/watch-carteret-statue-covered-paint
https://www.bailiwickexpress.com/jsy/news/sir-george-attacked-again
Slide 9:
Slide 10:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Six_Grandfathers.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mount_Rushmore_-a.jpg
Slide 11:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RoughRiders.jpeg
Slide 12:
https://apnews.com/article/archive-fact-checking-2786870059
Slide 13:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Haymarket_explosion.jpg
Slide 14:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HaymarketPoliceMemorial.jpg
https://chicagomonuments.org/monuments/haymarket-riot-monument-police-memorial
Slide 15:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Star_Spangled_Banner_(Carr)_(1814).png
Slide 16:
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-california-mission-models-20170919-story.html
https://sandiegohistory.org/journal/1978/april/labor
Left: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:San_Diego_Alcala_circa_1900_Keystone-Mast_Company.jpg
Slide 17:
Left: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jefferson_Davis_-_1853_daguerreotype_-_color.png
Middle: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Statue_of_Jun%C3%ADpero_Serra_(Monterey,_California).jpg
Right: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Robert_Edward_Lee.jpg
Slide 18:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Andrew_Jackson/I4a7hMqBKFMC
Slide 19:
Photo: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Henry_Clay-headshot.jpg
Quotes: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-day-henry-clay-refused-to-compromise-153589853/
Slide 20:
Photo:https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Henry_Clay.JPG
Quote: https://guides.loc.gov/compromise-1850
Slide 21:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Clay_Neighborhood_Park_Sign_3.jpg
Erik B. Anderson, 2023, Creative Commons license
Slide 22:
Clay Elementary photo: © Erik B. Anderson, 2024
Slide 23:
“I am Clay” photo: © Erik B. Anderson, 2024
Slide 24:
Slide 25:
Left: Screenshot of Survey (Expired Now)
See also: Letter to the Board: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pQgDI2da72_dlW4l7R86m5F0LWR4dr-lRv5MHSxuS24/edit
Slide 26:
© Erik B. Anderson, Family Photo, 1995
Slide 27:
© Erik B. Anderson, Family Photo, 1995
Slide 28:
© Erik B. Anderson, Family Photo, 1995
Slide 29:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ElMina_AtlasBlaeuvanderHem.jpg
Slide 30:
© Erik B. Anderson, 1995 (Creative Commons)
Slide 31:
© Erik B. Anderson, 1995 (Creative Commons)
Slide 32:
© Erik B. Anderson, 1995 (Creative Commons)
Slide 33:
© Erik B. Anderson, 1995 (Creative Commons)
Slide 34:
Photos: Anderson Family Photos, 1996
The Quad: The Student Newspaper of West Chester University, April 30, 1996
https://digital.klnpa.org/digital/collection/wcnp01/id/24225/rec/35
Bushness, Tina. “West Chester senior works to oppose logging waiver.” Daily Local News (Chester County, PA) August 18, 1996
Slide 35:
Slide 36:
© Erik B. Anderson, 2020
Slide 37:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/12/opinion/edward-colston-statue-racism.html
Slide 38:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:George_Floyd_protests_map
Slide 39:
Change.org, August 18, 2017
Slide 40:
http://change.org/renamerolandopo
Slide 41:
Slide 42:
Petition to rename the Andrew Jackson Post Office in El Cajon circulates online (June 24, 2020)
https://youtu.be/wmflspoazzs?si=40wg0bsFBcK8vvIH
Slide 43:
Photo: © Erik B. Anderson
Slide 44:
Slide 45:
© Erik B. Anderson, celebrity selfie with Sean Elo-Rivera, February 2023
Holding printout of this article: https://timesofsandiego.com/crime/2022/12/27/biden-oks-renaming-of-rolando-post-office-after-former-rep-susan-davis/
Slide 46:
© Erik B. Anderson, celebrity selfie with Sara Jacobs, January 2023
Slide 47:
Slide 48:
https://www.congress.gov/117/bills/hr9308/BILLS-117hr9308ih.pdf
Slide 49:
https://www.congress.gov/117/bills/hr9308/BILLS-117hr9308ih.pdf
Slide 50:
Text: Public Law 117-314, December 27, 2022
https://www.congress.gov/117/bills/hr9308/BILLS-117hr9308ih.pdf
Photo: © Erik B. Anderson, July 7, 2023
Slide 51:
https://tools.usps.com/find-location.htm?location=1353066
Slide 52:
Slide 53:
Slide 54:
Slide 55:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PledgeOfAllegiance1899.jpg
Slide 56:
Slide 68:
Slide 69:
Slide 70: