Historic Catholic marker deemed ‘racist symbol’ removed by University of California Santa Cruz

6/22/19
 
   < < Go Back
 
from FoxNews,
6/21/19:

A university in California removed a historical symbol from its campus Friday in an effort to be “more inclusive” after a years-long campaign by Native American community members argued the marker highlighted a period of racism in the state.

The El Camino Real Bell was removed from the University of California Santa Cruz after administrators had several discussions with members of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band and other community members who felt that the bell marker glorified a period of time when Spanish missionaries dehumanized their ancestors and culture and enslaved those who converted to Christianity.

The cast-iron bell, named after the route connecting 21 Franciscan missions, was one of hundreds of displays placed across highways in California in 1906 as a way to honor the state’s “Hispanic past” and “expand tourism,” UCSC said in a press release.

More From FoxNews: