It’s called the Black Family Statue.
The original statue was installed 52 years ago, the work of local artist Rossi Wade; it was created to reflect and honor Black family values.
A little more than a half-century after the original Black Family Statue took its place in a Mountain View park, its long-awaited replacement was celebrated Saturday with an official unveiling.
Community walking in for the unveiling of the new Black Family Statue. (Photo by JW August/Times of San Diego)The community gathering at Neil Petties Mountain View Park, which doubled as a Juneteenth celebration, capped a decade-long effort to replace the original wood statue that had grown so deteriorated that only a brass plaque and the brick and mortar foundation remained.
The new statue stands in the same place where the original was located, at the edge of the park.
It’s “the geographic and emotional heart of the Mountain View Community,” said Cybele Thompson, one of the key players that helped bring the new statue to life.
The new version, made from metal, is the creation of welding professor Mike Bradbury, with support from staff and leadership at the San Diego College of Continuing Education. It will be a beacon for residents for years to come, says Bradbury, who is the artist-in-residence at the same college where at one time the original statue’s creator, Rossi Wade, had the same role.
“I kind of fell in love with the process, the project, the family, and everything about what this sculpture represents,” Bradbury told those gathered at the celebration. “It’s amazing to see all you folks here, years after this thing’s been gone, and now it’s back.”
Mike Bradbury with his creation at the unveiling of the new Black Family Statue. (Photo by JW August/Times of San Diego)Attendees filled the chairs and sidewalks surrounding the artwork, concealed under a large black cloth. The media was out in force as well as elected leaders and their staff who represent the Mountain View area. Music filled the air as all those gathered waited for the program to begin.
Jeffrey Hayes, a longtime resident of the area, was the driving force behind the effort to replace the statue. When he spoke, the crowd cheered, whistled and clapped. Instead of a suit or a tie, Hayes wore a T-shirt and a big smile.
“Community is all we got, it’s all of us together. Let’s stick together, and let’s make something together,” he said.
It’s the grandparents and parents who can help kids today, he added. “We are the only people that can talk to them… It’s important for us to do, to put things back into balance, because that’s what we don’t have today.”
He said that as a young man, the park provided him an opportunity to learn from role models, such as the man the park is named after, Neal Petties.
Community activist and former journalist Paul Krueger, who also played an important role in helping Hayes form a team of supporters, lauded Hayes for his work. It was the teamwork, though, that would help Hayes break through the city bureaucracy in order to secure the new statue and upgrade the surrounding grounds.
“If we’re in debt today to any one person, it’s Jeffrey,” Krueger said.
The role that his effort plays in the community “is really overwhelming to me and to everybody who’s working on this project,” Kreuger added. “It’s a special recognition and sincere appreciation of your extraordinary dedication and advocacy to the Mountain View community.”
The daughters of Rossi Wade also played a significant role in encouraging the city to recognize the importance of the statue. It would be a call from Krueger and Hayes, who had custodial duty of the bronze plaque at the base of their father’s statue, that helped propel the effort forward.
Sisters Lynn Brown and Carole Boyce sit with Jeffrey Hayes at the unveiling of the new Black Family Statue. (Photo by JW August/Times of San Diego)“I was full of hope when that contact was finally made to my sister and myself,” said Lynn Brown, the younger daughter, describing how she felt after she first got Hayes’ call.
“And then the journey began.”
The effort “did not come easy,” says Wade’s daughter, Carole Boyce. She was discouraged by the slow process, swimming figuratively upstream to convince the city to support their efforts. It was Hayes’ enthusiasm, she said, that kept her and others thinking positively throughout the process.
Saturday’s unveiling meant the day had finally come.
“My father would be so proud and happy today,” Boyce said. “Family is and always has been the necessary foundation in life, for nurturing and support, for creating values, for safety, for comfort. My dad’s statues were meant to be a constant visual reminder of that family love.”
Historical photo of artist and sculptor Rossi Wade. (Image courtesy J.W. August)The statue, by showing an intact family, also shows unity and a promise that families will never be torn apart again, as they were during slavery.
Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe summarized the feelings of many at the unveiling: “Seeing its recreation today will bring many of us a sense of pride for generations to come. Thank you to our dear Rossi Wade, for your reminder of the Black family as a strong and important unit to our community.”
When the speeches were finished, the cloth was dropped, revealing a tall black metal statue reflecting the dignity and unity of the Black family.
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