For years the Black Family statue stood tall in Mountain View Community Park, in San Diego. And one day soon, it will stand tall over the park once again.
The original statue, which was designed by Rossie Wade, then an artist in residence at San Diego Community College, was first installed in 1974.
“It was one place in the community where Black families could see themselves in public art in a positive light,” Dr. Akilah Weber, the California District 79 Assemblymember, told NBC 7 on Tuesday.
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In previous decades the park that was the home to the statue also hosted concerts, car shows and cultural events.
“Friday, Saturday and Sunday, it was the place to be,” said Mountain View Coalition Chair Jeffrey Hayes.
The statue eventually fell into disrepair due to vandalism and weathering.
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On Oct. 10, 2023, city and state leaders announced they secured $195,000 to rebuild the statue.
“Securing funding from the state is critical because grant funding is limited, city funding is limited but the statue meant so much to the community it depicted the black family in the rightful light that it should be,” Weber said.
The new statue will create a legacy of its own.
“In a lot of ways, this restoration project is an essential symbol of the history and life of the Mountain View neighborhood,” said San Diego city councilmember Monica Montgomery-Steppe.
The new statue is expected to be standing in place before the end of 2024.
“It took a long time," Hayes said, "the statue has been gone now for over 20 years, and it’s about time that it comes back."
