Efforts to replicate San Diego's iconic ‘Black Family' statues are making progress

"The Black Family" statues, created in 1974 by local artist Rossie Wade, were once symbols of strength and pride for the Black community in Southeast San Diego.

Wade made two original statues — one was placed on a college campus, the other in Mountain View Community Park.

After years of deterioration, the statue in the park was eventually removed. All that remains from the original statue in Mountain View Community Park is a brick base and a faded plaque.

However, last October, Assemblymember Dr. Akilah Weber secured a $195,000 state grant that jumpstarted efforts to recreate the statue.

Welding students at San Diego College of Continuing Education Cultural Complex, led by instructor Mike Bradbury, have finished the first replica of the Black Family Statue.

While the original statue was made of wood, this replica is steel. It's expected to last for 100 years and be a continued source of community pride.

It's roughly 6 feet in height with skinny figures standing upright in the colors of black, brown, white, yellow and red.

The welding students who made the statue are from various ethnic backgrounds, so combined with the statue's color scheme, it makes for a process and symbol of racial unity.

"We all had our hands on it," said student Ivan Tatum. "It was multi-different colored people and we all helped, yes.”

"It's was a melding of different students," says Nathan Torres. "It was a melting pot just like San Diego is."

"This sculpture shows unity. It’s a family," Bradbury said. "The ethnicity, the cultures. It’s not you against me, your culture versus my culture, everyone is together."

This first replica will be placed on the college campus. The second replica, which they hope to start building soon, will be taller and placed back in Mountain View Community Park in the same spot as Wade's original statue.

Dr. Tina King, president of San Diego College of Continuing Education Cultural Complex, believes the statues are a key part of the community.

"They symbolize Black education, Black wealth, Black prosperity in Southeast San Diego. It’s extremely important for us to know where we came from and where we’re going. It tells the the story of the past and the future," King said.