Thomas Jefferson bought and sold people,” Lindsay said. FOLSOM, Calif. — In October 2018, a Stockton woman started a petition online to rename Negro Bar State Park in Folsom , garnering both support and backlash from people across the U.S. There’s no official list of words that they consider derogatory, but the board will consider any proposal to change a name that someone considers offensive, said Runyon. This sign read "Negro Bar Picnic Area" with an arrow pointing across the bridge. The owners of the Squaw Valley resort have convened to discuss removing the word “squaw” from their name, which is a slur that is derogatory towards Native American women. The town of Placerville is rethinking the widespread use of “Old Hangtown,” a moniker that brings lynchings to mind. He bought them like slaves. The name was changed to “Negro Bar” on the 1960 updated edition of a USGS map, according to a statement by California State Parks. Taria Baker-Michalet, who has lived in the Folsom area since the 1960s, remembers growing up around the sign. “I had no idea that [John Sutter] had Native slaves. This sign read "Negro Bar Picnic Area" with an arrow pointing across the bridge. FOLSOM (CBS13) — Folsom is home to a unique piece of California’s history and the recent re-examination of names, titles, and statues has made its way to the historic town. The U.S. Board on Geographic Names only has two words that are banned outright from being used in names: the n-word, and the three-letter slur for a Japanese person. But historian Clarence Caesar wrote in an article on the early history of Sacramento’s Black community that the n-word was used historically to refer to locations where Black miners, either free or enslaved, congregated to create a place for prospecting gold. Like Negro Bar, the original name for Grandstaff Canyon used the n-word. He got connected with Braidman after posting in the Facebook group “Folsom Chat.”. granite bay, beals point, brown’s ravine and folsom point are open at the folsom lake area. Photo: The Oaked Ridge, CC BY-SA 4.0. Hannah Braidman, who grew up in Folsom, is trying to pick up where Jones left off. While African American community leaders and historians have supported the continued use of this name in the past, California State Parks recognizes that such interpretations can change over time and welcomes continued feedback from the public. Negro Bar is a great spot for hiking, biking and just relaxation. The state parks system is considering changing the recreation area's name, which some people find offensive. But he also said that he worries about what could be lost if the name was changed. According to the California Department of Education, Negro Bar received its name because the first people to mine the large sand bar on the South bank of the lower American river were Black miners, who came to California during the Gold Rush. A petition calling for Folsom’s Negro Bar Recreation Area to be renamed is gaining traction online, arguing that the current race-related name is “out-of-date and offensive.” The board encourages people who propose name changes to look into the history of the place, and choose a name that honors the past. “They’re all symbols of colonization. Does this mean the bar behind it was a whites only bar and across the way was for the negros? Photo: The Oaked Ridge, CC BY-SA 4.0. Nick Butler, a resident of Folsom who initially supported changing the name of Negro Bar, was also at the meeting at City Hall. Sutter is memorialized as a hero all over the Sacramento region, in the names of schools, streets, the Sutter Health hospital chain, and even the name of former Gov. I know for me, when I arrived, the racial tension was kind of apparent,” Butler said. He sold them like slaves. The name “Negro Bar” was used in newspapers as early as 1850, according to a statement by California State Parks. People on both sides of the debate agree that the Black history of the Folsom should be preserved, but question how to do so. Sacramento’s Gold Rush colonizer John Sutter came down on June 15, outside the hospital that bears his name. See reviews, photos, directions, phone numbers and more for the best Sports Bars in Folsom, CA. There is precedent for the board to change names that include the word “negro.” In 2017 the board voted to rename Negro Bill Canyon in Utah. Sign up for one of our many newsletters to be the first to know when big news breaks. Her stomach started hurting. Some were able to purchase their freedom with gold they had mined. Filed Under: folsom news, Negro Bar State Park FOLSOM (CBS13) — A popular swimming and kayaking area of Lake Natoma is now closed through the summer. It became one of the larger gold camps along the American River. It became one of the larger gold camps along the American River. “There is a history of the erasure of Black history, or the role of Black folks in history. There are more than 400 places and geographic features that bear names with racial or ethnic slurs, names of colonizers, or names of people who enslaved people, according to a Sacramento Bee review of U.S. Geological Survey data. “After the passing of George Floyd, I was going to all of these protests and wondering what more I could do,” Braidman said. “We’re still telling the same history, but with a different voice.”, ©2020 The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, Calif.), Visit The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, Calif.) at www.sacbee.com. For residents of Folsom who are concerned about the name of Negro Bar, having honest conversations is the most important part of the movement. Mind you, the sign was only a couple feet in front of another bar called "The Cliff House of Folsom." The canyon was renamed Grandstaff Canyon to honor the man, William Grandstaff, who it was originally named after. We invite the public to email us at info@parks.ca.gov to receive information about future public input opportunities. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. The name, which was changed from the n-word in the 1960s, according to California State Parks, is advertised with a sign and a place on the map that still reads as a shocking slur to many. Fishing Negro Bar, CA on 6/14/2020 will be best from 12:00AM through 12:00AM, and from 12:00AM to 12:00AM. FOLSOM, Calif. — In October 2018, a Stockton woman started a petition online to rename Negro Bar State Park in Folsom , garnering both support and backlash from people across the U.S. The director of state parks may approve a name change after hearing from the public, Black community leaders and historians, the department told The Sacramento Bee in an email. Or would you like to know where the fish are biting in the Folsom (CA) area? At the time, Negro Bar was a large sand bar located on the south bank of the lower American River, in what is now the City of Folsom. Most African American miners left by 1852 to nearby mining sites that were more successful. To keep the name opens up opportunities for residents to misuse it, Butler said. Negro Bar State Park is a fun destination by car, horse, foot, or bicycle. The petition saw sparse signatures for some time, but it has since seen a swell in support as conversations about race happen around the country. 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