Local activists say a statue in Mountain View Park that once brought pride to San Diego's Black community has deteriorated into an eyesore, and they're pushing local leaders to greenlight a replacement.
Thursday morning, a park worker down on his knees scrubbed graffiti off what's left of the Black Family Statue. All that's left is a plaque on a barren brick base — a far cry from what used to be there.
“I played at this park since I was a kid," community activist Jeffrey Hayes said. "I was born and raised right here in San Diego.”
Mountain View Park isn't just any park, according to Hayes. In the 60s and 70s the park hosted concerts on Sundays, legendary car shows and sports leagues for kids.
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“This was the only place. This was the only place where Black people came together on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and enjoyed themselves," he said.
The park was so renowned, in 1974 local artist Rossie Wade designed and installed his sculpture, "The Black Family."
The figurines depicting a family of four stretched 6 feet above the base, appearing to reach toward the sky.
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“Every time I come around the corner here I remember the statue sitting high," Hayes said. "And … It just meant a lot to us here.”
“He picked this spot," Wade's daughter Lynn Brown said. "Right at the corner, at the front, so you would see it. Like ‘Welcome, come in here to our park.’”
But the statue did not withstand weather, time or, ultimately, vandalism.
“A part of you feels erased because it’s not there," Brown said.
So now Hayes, Brown and others are working to replace the statue with a weather-resilient replica.
“We’ve been working for a long time," Brown said. "Well over a year, well over a year! And not getting anywhere! I feel like I’m treading water.”
They've reached out to the Parks and Rec department, the City of San Diego, and City Council, according to Brown, who said officials express a lot of interest, but little commitment.
"Is the city willing to help us or not?" Brown said. "Just say it.”
Either way, Brown and Hayes say they're determined.
“Art has always been, and not just Black art, but art has always been part of people’s culture," Brown said.
The statue is a piece of this community's culture — and they want it back.
