Alameda’s first city park will no longer be named after President Andrew Jackson. The Alameda City Council voted Tuesday night to “de-name” Jackson Park because of his legacy of slavery and atrocities against Native Americans.
The unanimous vote followed a recommendation from the city’s Park and Recreation Commission to immediately remove Jackson Park signage and begin the process for renaming the open space on Encinal Avenue. An appointed community group will be tasked with choosing a new name, the council also decided.
Created in 1895 as the city’s first public park, it was originally named Alameda Park. After three new parks were built in 1909, the city decided to name each space after American presidents.
But as the entire nation is quickly re-evaluating its history regarding race and equity, and the falling of some monuments, Alameda is no different. Led by community members, including Alameda native and author Rasheed Shabazz, the days of Jackson’s name affixed to a public space appeared numbered.
In addition, other parks and streets in Alameda may also soon be up discussion for name-changes, including one park named after former Alameda Mayor Milton Godfrey, who openly advocated in the 1940s for blocking blacks from living on the island.
Alameda elected officials appeared reluctant to support a proposal to change Jackson Park’s name back to its original moniker. Another idea is to rename it Justice Park. Councilmember Malia Vella, however, said she believes the name should honor minorities and women, groups with few monuments and parks named in their honor.
“This is way beyond time for this to happen,” Councilmember Jim Oddie said of the de-naming. “If I wasn’t on council, I would have probably taken a chainsaw to it,” he added.
“I’ve got a large saw,” Councilmember John Knox White responded.
Nonetheless, the Jackson Park signage will not come down that quickly. “It’s not coming down tomorrow,” said Amy Woolridge, Alameda Recreation and Parks director, That’s because it’s not actually made of wood, but concrete, and will take time for workers to dismantle.
ebcitizen.com 
Wes, History ala Trump means Trumps version of history, that he is a patriot, America is doing well on Testing, that the Russians are to be trusted, immigrants are criminals, that he is the best negotiator with China and North Korea, that non-mask wearing is a Constitutional right and on and on. The 1994 Crime Bill was wrong and had high bilateral support by Congress. I assume that you too are a part of the braindead society of haters and fascists like Trump. I am glad that you are concerned about the Nuclear Family. I share that concern and look forward to the end of the oppression of LGBTQ and a bringing to accountability the Roman Catholic Church and the appropriate distribution of the wealth back to the people that have been the Church’s Victims.
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@Thomas; I have no idea what “history ala trump” means.
But I do hope that the cancel culture of today’s braindead society comes full circle one day and the racist policies enacted by the democratic party and leading democratic politicians, ala Biden 94′ crime bill (see what I did there) and the entire platform of the left is disassembled. One day I’m sure, the truth of the atrocities you’ve stated will be aligned to the party that has decimated the nuclear family.
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Dear Not Going Anywhere, glad to see that you will remain in Alameda. As a Liberal you likely supported the three that won the election Vella, White and Oddie. Did you consider them Commies, Leftists, Liberals or just Democrats? Or are you one of the Libertarians? You have lots of judgement and hate. So you are either a Libertarian, Republican or a Democrat, or perhaps you do not vote at all, and just whine. If you are not a Democrat, then you are aligned with Trump. I could care less your race. The whole point of this was to get a proper name not dedicated to hate for the parks in Alameda.
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Imagine being a pseudo philosopher like this left wing nut Clarke. I am a liberal. I did not vote for Trump. Liberals used to support American values, like freedom of thought. Now liberalism is synonymous with leftism, which is a cancer and just plain intellectually lazy. I am a mixed race asian-latin american, born and raised here. Just because I don’t like Marxism, which it is, does not make me a Trump supporter. The fact that you jump straight to attacking what you thought was my skin color and accuse me of being a certain race, as if its a negative, shows who the real racists are. Its you and all your commie ilk. It always has been throughout history.
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Wes, the Alameda park should represent Alameda’s community. There is nothing about Andrew Jackson that represents the good part of Alameda. No doubt if he had ever gotten west of the Mississippi he would have been in favor of moving the indigenous people to Oklahoma or just killing them. He was in favor of slavery. He had a short fuse and fought many duels, including some resulting in death. Nothing memorable about Jackson. Those apologists for such evil bring nothing to America at all and certainly nothing to Alameda. Of course you may subscribe to the history ala Trump. I subscribe to the vote, and I suspect that you have a loser for a long time.
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Wes, these 12 Alamedans all represent the best of Alameda. I am sure that if not these, there are others who represent better things than slavery, genocide and cruelty. Jack LaLanne, Jack Johnson, Shirley Temple Black, Virginia Lee Burton, Phyllis Diller, Jimmy Doolittle, Katharine Graham, Debi Fields, Margaret McNamara, Bill Rigney, Don Perata and Willie Stargell all lived in Alameda or resided here for long times and represent the best of the city.
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Imagine concluding what “race” should an Alameda park be named after as if that’s some sort of an achievement.
@Thomas_clarke you are definitely part of the problem with race relations today.
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Jackson was definitely a bad person pertaining to what he did to certain ethnic groups at the time. He was also a reason New Orleans was saved during the battle of 1812.
I can point out any name or person associated with it on this island and there is some negative history to it.
Hell Jackson was the father of the Democratic party, maybe do away with all things Democratic? Just kidding.
But I think this is the wrong thing to do; bowing to a group of uneducated people in hopes of support during an election year.
The main concern being, where exactly does it stop?
Why doesn’t the city of Alameda keep it going and remove everything they believe is controversial? Hell, SF, had it’s Union General Ulysses Grant statue taken down, why not continue on that route?
This is all show and it’s a disservice to our history as a nation good and bad. The future generations, God willing, will not be as ignorant and close minded as the children the last generation brought up.
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Alameda Resident, the elected officials were elected by the majority, not the freaking racist joke you support. Opposition does not make one a Marxist or Anti American. Perhaps you will be more comfortable in a place other than Alameda. Florida is a good place. You do not even need to wear a mask and eat out wherever you want.
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Dear Anonymous, the majority of Alamedans voted for John. They like how plain spoken he is. They like the change he supports happening to the great city of Alameda. Cutting out Racist Names with a Chain Saw is not destruction, just thorough. Yes, I want Alameda acting for its citizens and not against them. It is good to see that the Police Chief has resigned. Though his department did not act with class, he has.
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Basically this council member just stated since he didn’t like something he would take a chainsaw to it. Is that how you want people to treat your city? If you don’t like it destroy it!
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Wow racism is solved, guys! Great work, you lazy uncreative people. Alameda elected officials are a freaking joke. When did everyone here become an anti-American Marxist? Why are elected officials bowing down for a few uneducated commies? Grow a spine and stand up for American history. I am not even white and I am sick and tired of this anti white agenda going on everywhere.
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Given Alameda’s diversity, Total Population in 2010 73,812: 100.0% , Most of the families are a single ethnic group, One Race. 68,547: 92.9%.
37,042 people (50.2% of Alameda) live in owner-occupied housing units and
35,274 people (47.8%) lived in rental housing units.
There are more Women than Men in Alameda.
White Alamedans are 33,468: 45.3%.
Asians alone make up 22,822: 30.9%.
LatinX Alamedans make up 8,092: 11.0%
Blacks are 4,516: 6.1%.
American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders and other races are 867: 1.2%.
Given the above Two of the Parks should be named for women. Each Park should be named for either a White, Asian, LatinX, and Black Alamedan or Californian.
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