Jerry Roberts
By Jerry Roberts of Newsmakers
A few yards from a busy entrance to the historic Santa Barbara County Courthouse, two weather-worn plaques, affixed to a sandstone boulder, attest to California’s Spanish Colonial period — in words that seem painful and problematic in our present moment.
The inscription on the older of the two plaques, rendered in all capital letters, reads as follows:
The second, attached to the opposite side of the stone, reads:
An alert Newsmakers reader, who requested anonymity, sent us an image of one of the panels, concerned about the message it sends, particularly at a time of nationwide unrest over racism and the removal and tearing down of Confederate statues and other historic markers.
“Plaque greeting visitors to the Courthouse!” they wrote, protesting the presence of the marker on the grounds of Santa Barbara’s most iconic landmark, visited by thousands of tourists a year,
Gregg’s outraged
Objecting to “the offensive, racist language” of the plaques, Board of Supervisors President Gregg Hart told us last night that he intends to see they are “removed as soon as possible” from the Courthouse grounds.
“I’d like them removed as soon as tomorrow,” Hart told Newsmakers.
The 1927 plaque, dated two years before the Courthouse was completed, is catalogued on the Historical Marker Database, which describes more than 115,000 historical markers in the nation; the listing notes other plaques on the grounds, including “The First Ruling Sovereign of Europe to Visit America,” “President Reagan Meets Queen Elizabeth II” and “Tympanum.”
Portola was a soldier and administrator of Spain’s Viceroyalty of New Spain colony, who explored and expanded its Las Californias province far north, from Baja California to San Francisco Bay.
The 1938 plaque is along the route of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, which recalls the 1,200 mile expedition of the New Spain military officer that established the first colonial settlement near San Francisco. The trail is managed by the National Park Service; the Courthouse marker, however, is not listed on its website, although five other sites in Santa Barbara County, including El Presidio de Santa Barbara, are.
“My first reaction to seeing the plaques was total confusion,” said City Council member Oscar Gutierrez, who kindly took fresh photos of both plaques for a quarantined Newsmakers geezer after we showed him the image we were sent.
“Why would the Daughters of the American Revolution be honoring a Spanish colonizer’s religious mission on public and state land? Why are those facts not noted on the plaques but their skin color is?” he said. “The plaques don’t seem to be completely historically accurate or acknowledge the consequences of the colonizers’ actions. I’m glad the county is taking action.”
The DAR
California members of the Daughters of the American Revolution have been active in sponsoring other markers and sites of the historic trail around the state.
Founded in 1890, after women were rejected for membership in the Sons of the American Revolution, DAR is a non-profit that, among other activities, promotes historic preservation. Membership, which the group claims at more than 1 million women, is based on genealogy: new members must prove “lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution.”
Viewed as a conservative organization, the DAR in the last century had a fraught history of racism, and did not admit a Black member until 1977.
Last month, however, amid the protests over the killing of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white police officer in Minneapolis, the organization released a statement called “The DAR’s continuing commitment to equality,” which stated that “our organization condemns racism. Bias, prejudice and intolerance have no place in the DAR or America.”
Efforts to reach a DAR representative last night were unsuccessful.*
[Editor’s Note: The below update by Jerry Roberts includes a response from DAR]
SB’s DAR Leader Agrees Courthouse Markers Should Go — Suggests Possible “Replacement Plaques”
The leader of Santa Barbara’s Daughters of the American Revolution chapter on Monday agreed that two controversial plaques on the Courthouse grounds that celebrate the Spanish Colonial period should be removed.
Jane Frederick, Regent of the Mission Canyon Chapter of the DAR, told Newsmakers that the plaques, dated 1927 and 1938, were donated by now-defunct branches of the national non-profit group.
“We don’t object,” to the removal of the two markers, Frederick said. “The reconsideration of colonization is completely under scrutiny right now, and they need to come down.”
As we reported earlier, the older marker commemorates the arrival in Santa Barbara of an expedition led by colonial governor Gaspar de Portola in 1769, identified as “the first white men to march through the wilderness of California.” The other honors “the first white women and children who marched through California,” and encamped nearby, with a group of families led by Juan Bautista de Anza in 1776.
After learning of the two markers, Board of Supervisors Chair Gregg Hart denounced their “racist and offensive language” and said he would see to their removal. Both he and Frederick confirmed Monday that they spoke after our post was published.
“He was really wanting to be reassured that we wouldn’t object,” to the removal, Frederick told us. “Jane supports removing the plaques,” said Gregg.
A 1972 and 1976 member of the USA Olympic Track and Field Team, who set the first official world record in the women’s heptathlon, Frederick said she became concerned about the language of the markers when she first learned of them after becoming active in the DAR several years ago; as the current chapter Regent, she said, she now has surveyed the executive board and there is “consensus” for supporting Hart’s move.
The DAR is active in historic preservation and Frederick added that the local chapter will consider the appropriateness of a possible “plaque replacement” for the Courthouse marker; the group will “investigate whether the events honored were important enough” to deserve historic commemoration and, if so, determine what updated, “collaborative language” is appropriate for describing them.
“We’ll talk about what’s next,” she added.
Forget the plaques, the courthouse itself should be removed. There is no place for this symbolic tribute to Spanish colonialism in Santa Barbara in this day and age. Speaking of Spanish colonialism, I don’t think Santa Barbara is an appropriate name for our city anymore since it also is symbolic of European colonialism and the oppression of the native peoples by the missionaries.
CHIP, you’re absolutely right! Any positive reference to Europeans who settled in Santa Barbara must be totally stricken, as they never did anything good. Indigenous people good. White people bad. Get used to it. The one thing that puzzles me is what is “racist” about the plaque? Oscar Gutierrez seems to have his fingers in a lot of this current renaming craze. On the Next-door website, he’s infuriated Westside residents with his push to have San Andres Street renamed “Dolores Huerta Street.” Enough with this renaming bullshit and taking down historical plaques!
I would like to see Alameda Padre Serra renamed to honor the many local indigenous citizens of California whose lives were enslaved by the Spaniards and who sacrificed their culture. One might also consider the impact of celebrating “Old Spanish Days” in the same light, as we have no right to glorify the imperialistic conquest of the indigenous cultures by having this event. Let’s instead look at the lifestyle of the native peoples and imagine how much better off we all would be if we had honored that culture and followed their example of living in harmony with their environment and each other.
Oh good! I was wondering when the overt and covert racists would show up. Hi Chip and Rex.
Completely agree. The mission should have plaques, tributes, and honorings to those they enslaved and killed. They should invite the Chumash tribe and formally apologize. They should also stop molesting children and covering it up but that’s for another thread. Old Spanish Days should seriously reconsider how it presents itself because its mostly a bunch of white people appropriating a culture.
Maybe I’m just a “liberal,” but I honestly couldn’t care one iota whether they remove these plaques. In all my years living and the many years working in and around the SB Courthouse, I’ve never once read these. Well, maybe I did, but it never registered. Go ahead and remove them! Not sure why anyone would be upset about removing these, well, except CHIP and REX clearly.
Oscar seemed pretty careful not to take a stance on the San Andres/Dolores Huerta naming. More diplomatic than most behind the keyboard.
Same here! I have walked past them literally hundreds of times an never even bothered to read them.
Yep, @4:49, you’ve got to drag out your tired old “racist “ card, don’t you? Let’s just obliterate any and all references to European explorers and settlers. They were BAD!
They are offensive, get rid of them. Not going to lose sleep over it
REX – oh please, don’t be simple. It’s not that ALL white explorers and settlers were “bad,” it’s that those who did oppress, enslave, kill, rape, etc the indigenous people (ie, the ones that were here first) should not be celebrated. Committing genocide (or at least attempting to) is generally considered a “bad” quality in a person, wouldn’t you agree? There are many white settlers and explorers who were able to settle and explore WITHOUT trying to destroy the people they found living here, take Lewis and Clark for example. Those white folks should be praised and honored, but what you’re seeing in the news is the “bad” ones losing their statues, plaques, etc. Don’t forget the difference between “all” and “some.” That seems to be a problem with your ilk.
Thank you SacJon! Why is that when old white people are confronted with change they freak out? Let’s take down the statue of this murder. “Ohh so now we just take down all statues??” Smh.
Can’t monkey with Old Spanish Days, HUMANITARIAN. It’s too much of a cash cow for the city. And I’ll agree—if ever something racially offensive should be “cancelled,” it’s OSD. So let’s just go on removing plaques and renaming streets, while the community benefits financially by annually celebrating the beginning of white dominance of indigenous people.
If history is written by the winners and all the people were so bad back then what makes you all think the people forcing all these new changes and re-writing history are good people? Hint* they’re not!
420722 – “all” vs “some,” learn the difference.
Living in harmony with each other? Truth is there was lots of fighting between some tribes. I have Native Americans in my family and they STILL hate some other tribes. What a funny thing–people of all races are alike. Some hate, some love, some good, some bad.
LUVADUCK – using the names of colors to describe the color of an object or non-race related term is far, FAR different then using the name of color to degrade another human being based on the color of their skin, but you already know that. This is another version of “all” vs “some.” You know the difference, stop pretending to be offended.
More weak what-about arguments. Privileged people hate to be inconvenienced in any way. Probably if you researched most of those names you would find some negative connection to our history. The exception is probably black hole because no light can emanate from them. Personally, if someone tells me their preferred pronouns and cultural label, I consider it polite behavior to use them and I don’t feel diminished at all.
What is important is the intent of the plaque. It was donated by the Daughters of the Revolution in 1933. Take a quick peek at the DAR’s wikipedia entry regarding the early 30’s. They were an unabashedly racist group. Removing the plaque isn’t as much about forgetting colonialism in Santa Barbara, or about taking away history–the DAR’s goal in the 30s was to separate and divide, and that’s why the plaque is bad. These were Karens of the 1930’s. If they were around today, my guess is that they would be clamoring to build a wall, and protesting having to wear a mask. Sure, the city was likely complicit with allowing the plaque, but everybody should be questioning what the intent was to install it in the first place. That should be what is at the heart of the matter. As another example, look at the confederate statues installed by the Daughters of the Confederacy (different group, I know) during ~1900-1920. These were not meant as historical markers commemorating a war 50 years in the past, they were a way to remind black people of their place. They were a shot across the bow towards people of color to toe the line. They should be taken away and put in a museum, and not in a public place. I feel exactly the same about this plaque: it’s less about “celebrating white people”, and more about increasing the racial divide and keeping people of color in their place. Rip it out, and put it in a museum somewhere, where it can be shown along with other artifacts of its antiquated intent. Don’t leave it in public view in our wonderful city without the proper context.
Wow CSF. Great comment. I agree wholeheartedly that the ones trying to decide what is best for each ethnicity is not even the ethnicity in question & I think there is something REALLY wrong with that.
5:19 – Uh, hm….. we don’t call African American’s or any Black people “negroes” any more. We haven’t for a long time. Wow. You really are new at this whole racial equality thing, aren’t you? It is ok to say “black,” as in Black Lives Matter, etc., it’s definitely NOT ok to call them that word, though.
Just another attempt to rewrite history. Just remember George Santayana’s quote: “Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it.”
Rex is mad as heck and he’s not going to take it anymore! Perhaps the reference to “White” people is the racist part? All the good any Caucasians did was built on killing, using for slave labor, and taking the land of anyone who was here first. CA was paying bounties on Native American scalps for goodness sakes! I personally wouldn’t mind leaving the plaques and posting something next to them to put them in historical context. But I bet that the same people who don’t want those plaques removed would also be very upset at any info provided on the adjacent plaques. Maybe a guilty conscience?
What’s just a bit ironic is that those Hispanic “white women and children of the thirty families” would now likely be claimed as POC, people of color, in today’s politically correct WOKE society; they’d probably be with in the broader, non-white demographic as the indigenous peoples.
This is a new side effect of COVID19 –massive ignorance of actual facts of history, replaced with a ongoing and divisive hate speech motive. The Spanish Colonial Period, like all Colonial periods was part of a worldwide migration of people escaping poverty and limitations in other places. When people came here to California, there were only TWO races –White/ Native or Other. Two genders Male/Female. Hence the DAR language of that time. Historic context should protect and explain what is now packaged as racism. These were actually only mixed races by 1782 when families arrived here to live. Actually, after 200 plus years of first contact, there were no “whites” as we describe them today, nor Europeans, but mixed racial people (Hello DNA) . Natives were attracted and embraced this new sacred religion, adding their own elements. They did so by choice for the most part and for centuries. This distorted “look back” with our own intentions is criminal now. Check the records of the actual founding and you will discover this was a place deemed hospitable for life and supportive for all the MIXED racial people that settled at the Presidio in 1792–the only Spanish one was a servant. This is a political movement based on white race hatred, along with deconstruction of actual historic perspectives about settlements of people. No one was enslaved or killed on this expedition. These were the first tourist of black origins, families of former slaves, as well (over 50% plus mixed races) . I guess we no longer care about documentation, facts of exploration and contact. This is a campaign for white guilt and deliberate shaming of folks who cannot defend themselves. Read the “Tree of Hate” against Spain by other Europeans with evil intent. The descendants of these people still live here folks–is this a new genocide? The tribes lost power over their people drawn to a better existence, and they were not enslaved, but paid to develop a new culture of mutual respect and integration we have today officially.
We still honor those values coming from that first collaboration. Our town chose a historic architectural and artistic style. They also integrated sacred art and practices into our culture.
This was a movement to being a better life to all. Their pandemic came much later–after the Spanish period when world trade was expanded. Changing history is the way to conquest — now into a new Anarchistic/ authoritarian “destroy history and faith” period. This is a pre-requisite to destroying faith, and hope. Shame on those who do not check facts and the context. Stop this WAR on facts bolstered by the weapon of emotions. How hateful is our time and with what unholy motives. Hopefully recorded! Stop looking ONLY for the bad in the past in SB specifically, and see the good things, corrections in conduct we inherited from better acts of conscience.
There is a relentless hatred in all this cancel culture. The mention of “White” in the plaque is sufficient to take it down, especially because it doesn’t represent the make up of the Portola or Anza troupe and in the latter of their families. Half of the soldiers came from nonwhite backgrounds–mulato, negro, meztizo, Indio, coyote. This ethnic, racial mix resulted from 250 years of the Mexican frontier moving northward. In one census taken at the time, there was a tremendous amount interracial marriages. Portola, who was “white” was actually a Catalan, who was part of the Catalan volunteers who came from Spain. Portola actually didn’t stay in CA. He returned to Spain. Catalan was a separate culture that has its own language that was actuallySerra’s native language. Other soldiers considered “white” were Basques who spoke their own Basque language. Padre Lassen, who founded the mission was of Basque origin. Spanish Governor Pedro Fages was a Catalan; Spanish Governors Arrilliaga and Borica were Basques. When the “Spanish” settled SB in 1782 half the soldiers and their families were people of color–by definitions used today. Regarding Chumash in SB, when Spanish founded SB they found burned out several burned out villages and learned that various Chumash mountain people were at war with some coastal Chumash. For the first 20 years Chumash were evangelized in their villages. Also a Chumash Indian and a Spanish Indian Soldier were married in the Presidio Chapel. A son of the chieftain Yanonali was buried in the Presidio Chapel one of the few marked Indian graves. Indians were paid to build the Presidio while living in their villages; they provided half the labor, the other half were soldiers and sailors from visiting ships. Indians were taught agriculture and animal husbandry, later at the missions; if an Indian was a fugitive and left the mission on his or her own, in almost all cases Indian Auxiliaries were sent to retrieve them, not soldiers. Death from disease at the missions was very low during the Spanish period, because Spain had a mercantilist economy that limited shipping to Spanish ships, and thus limited the disease brought in. During the Mexican period after shipping was opened up to foreign vessels, disease became rampant at the missions and Indians died by the thousands. After Spain left CA to its own devices and ships stopped bringing supplies Indians and soldiers completed for limited resources and the violent Chumash revolt took place in 1824. This is during the Mexican period; Mexico had declared and won its independence by 1820. These are facts: there are many more interesting ones. But in this crazy cancel culture all history is blurred together in a world of European bad guys versus Native good guys. In fact the Spanish who settled SB were Catalans, Basques, some Spanish, mestizos, mulattos, negros, and Mexican Indios, who came upon an advanced Indian Chumash people who were at war with one another. By 1820 through agriculture (wheat and corn fields, vineyards, etc) and the presence of hundreds of thousands of domestic animals–cattle, horses, mules, sheep the SB coastal environment had been transformed. White Evil? The story is more interesting than this Manichean view of the world.
If removing all reference to “White settlers,” aka European settlers, and scorning all things colonial, FIESTA has GOT to go!!! Let’s be consistent here. Old Spanish Days glorifies colonialism, and the wiping out of Native American culture along the Santa Barbara coast.
Old Spanish Days, Fiesta, symbolizes Santa Barbara- to all the tourists who come here to celebrate it. Removing any reference to what it celebrates? Gotta think this through…
THANK YOU FOR THE MUCH NEEDED HISTORY LESSON. IGNORANCE IS THE ENEMY. EDUCATION IS KEY.
Fiesta celebrates the atonement and reconciliation with history through arts/ music/traditional dances foods of many peoples–and we celebrate the culture of people coming together not to hate one another with malicious slander, violent intent and competition, but to express the joy of accepting one another and sharing traditions. That was the actual history of SB–along with our parade about the variety of horse that the Spanish introduced in North American which gave control and power to Native tribes in their struggle to survive. Those so called “whites” haven’t been white for ages–all born here–natives, folks.
We all have too much time on our hands, and getting dirtier all the time–and infection in our thinking.
Let’s wash our hands–and stop thinking of arrogance as our new religion.
Again, thanks for the history lesson. In removing old plaques, I think it’s important that historical events are recorded, so I hope that they are replaced with new ones that are more accurately worded. Sometimes plaques, public art, statues, etc. are meant to inform, not to indoctrinate or influence public opinion. Events of the past can be worded in such a way that conveys our history without glorifying it. I actually think the fact that the DAR referred to the colonists as “white” when they were actually racially mixed is another interesting part of that history, and says more about the DAR at that time than it does of the racial mix of our town’s settlers.
I think that the public outrage about our monuments is misplaced. If you look deeper, the outrage is really about what actually happened, but, these are facts that cannot be changed. The best we can do now is to acknowledge it and, as a new generation, strive not to repeat it, and hope that future generations won’t be removing our monuments with as much disgust as we remove those that were placed before us.
Of course, I have deep sorrow about slavery and the great civil war that ended it, but I also can acknowledge the great sorrow of the people of the south who also suffered and built their own monuments to commemorate their reality. I hope that the statues, etc., of the south can have their own museum someday as a record, much like the German holocaust museums and the Vietnam memorial. History is history…there are ways to present it, without losing the thread of objectivity.
The numerous little “parks” around APS and the mission could also be identified: burial grounds for the Chumash people. This would be another place to discuss the deaths of the local people through overwork, beatings and introduced disease.
Get rid of these plaques, change racist names, take down confederate (traitor) statues, but keep our Fiesta. Maybe change the name and the primary focus of Fiesta to celebrate other cultures (Spanish, Mexican, Native American) and give opportunities for us to learn about their music, their dances, their traditions. Yeah, Fiesta is usually associated with drinking and partying, but it really IS a celebration of others. We should definitely add more emphasis on the local Chumash history though. Maybe change it from “Old Spanish Days” to “Santa Barbara Days?” Put the focus on our history and recognition of the cultures and people here before us.
A few years ago, I presented an idea to city gov called
“New Spanish days”, which would be an all-inclusive “ecumenical”
version of what we have now..
Nope.
p.s…the historical segments presented here regarding the Chumash..are incorrect due to the current available info.
The Western version of our story is perpetuation of mis-information..like “The island of the blue dolphin” is a made-up story, used as an attempt to make SB relevant during the time of Ishi & the Yahi’s…but thanks for trying.
My wife, who is Hispanic, considers herself white and not a “person of color.” I think that some of the people with an agenda are getting way too carried away with themselves.
My great grandfather was one of those 30 families that was part of the expedition which founded the Presidio. I guess “white” is refers to European Spanish soldiers from Mexico. I’m a mix of Hispanic and European and don’t find the plaque racist whatsoever.
Maybe you can post the plaque at your house then?
Some of this erase public markers that don’t conform to current sensibilities is long overdue, but some of it is just silly. Should astronomy’s “black hole” become “hole of color” and “white glove” treatment be eliminated altogether? How about “Indian Summer”, “Indianna”, “Chief Justice”, “whitewash” and “black ball”? And if you can emasculate someone, shouldn’t effeminate be what a total hysterectomy is called?
Birth certificates in CA didn’t have a hispanic classification in the old days, so those said “white”. Not sure what they say now. Someone knowledgeable on cultural issues says that your culture is determined by how you are raised, with some exceptions. I am 3/16ths hispanic but was raised in white culture so it would be a reach for me to call myself hispanic. The exceptions have to do with a situation where a black child is adopted by a white family- society is generally going to see them as black, not white.
Where are all of you when the annual pow wow is happing at Live Oak? It’s usually a very small turnout compared to fiesta. If you’re all so worried about celebrating indigenous people that festival should be a hell of lot bigger don’t you think? Why all of sudden does everyone care? Because it’s trending? Sick.
It’s really not okay to lump all of the pinkish people in as “whites”. But historically belonging to that group has not resulted in widespread lynchings and segregation and lack of votes. So if you have the power, it doesn’t matter so much what people call you. If you lack power, it matters a lot. But if we all got away from cultural labels and tried to see people as individuals, that would be a good thing.
Opening a real Pandora’s Box. Where does it end?
Yeah, getting rid of racism is really a problem. Whatever shall we do without our statues and plaques celebrating white supremacy? This must be a scary time for you, sorry!
A-159..
If your response is directed to me, then you have proven my entire post.
Documents?!..ha ha!
They are as valid as “Peace Treaties”, which were signed by Presidents.
I am a “History keeper”.
My family has volumes of volumes of our history..
Regalias, ceremonial pieces, ancient archeological finds (ours & yours)..
None of which SB will ever see.
At the time of their migration west, Whites were the minority in CA and here… So in a strange way, this plaque is pretty much what a plaque celebrating people of color in Santa Barbara will appear to people 100 years from now – when almost everyone is some mix of many races and whites are long since passed over as the majority. People will look back on our obsession with race labels and say, huh? Not too mention these were Spaniards making them both Latin and White… Makes for a confusing dialog when you factor in the mixture of European and Indio that makes up modern Latin American DNA. We live in such a strange time…