Posted on 02/21/2010 2:58:33 PM PST by Steelfish
Century-Old Slur Erased From Santa Monica Mountains Maps February 20, 2010
A century-old slur was erased Saturday as authorities ceremoniously renamed a Santa Monica Mountains peak to commemorate a black pioneer who established a homestead at its base in 1880.
What had long been designated on "Negrohead Mountain" on official maps is now "Ballard Mountain" in honor of John Ballard, who worked as a blacksmith and firewood vendor from his 160 acres in the Seminole Springs area.
About 25 of Ballard’s descendants were among a crowd of 90 who watched as a plaque bearing the settler’s name was unveiled near the site of his onetime homestead. It will be permanently placed next to Kanan Road’s north tunnel near the top of the 2,031-foot volcanic peak.
Reggie Ballard, the 85-year-old great-grandson of the pioneer, said he was pleased to see the old name wiped away.
"I don’t know what it means to Los Angeles as a whole but it means a lot to me," said the retired Los Angeles Fire Department captain who now lives in Banning.
"It’s not often you get a chance to right an historical wrong," said Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, who helped nearby residents win approval of the name change with the U.S. Geological Survey. Marcia McNutt, the survey’s director, traveled from Washington to attend the ceremony.
Descendant Christopher Ballard, 19, of Long Beach said he and six others climbed Ballard Mountain, climbing over rocks and carving their own trail through brush. When he reached its peak, he said, it felt like he was on top of the world.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimesblogs.latimes.com ...
Is ‘negrohead’ a slur?
There, now everything should be hunky-dorey...
Negrohead Mountain is a “slur”? Sounds like somebody has been doing too many drugs and has too much time on their hands. I live in the White Mountains. I wonder if that makes me a racist.
well at least the Ca state government has their priorities in order...
Next up, Squaw Valley... /s
Maybe South Dakota’s Black Hills should be renamed the “Hills of Color.”
Dakota’s
Hey isn’t that a racial slur?
Whatever makes them feel good about themselves...anything, rather than actually doing good deeds.
"...said Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, who helped nearby residents win approval of the name change with the U.S. Geological Survey"
Sounds like it was the county working with the Federal Government. The State Government gets involved in the damnedest things, but this wasn't one of them.
It was referred to as “ni—er head” by the locals in the old days. The map makers changed it to “negro head” and now the “head” reference is no more. Suits me.
Nothing like wasting ink on this story when the head of Calif. Air Resources Board, Mary Nichols, deserves to be run out of the state.
Hey, LA Times, do a real story once in awhile.
These IDIOT feel good PC merchants have entirely too much time on their hands.
As far as alleged slurs go, I have yet to go to a mexican restaurant on either coast that doesn’t have a “Speedy Gonzalez” dish. (Well, maybe a couple but not many.)
I’m 52 years old and in my lifetime, have gone from saying ‘negro’, to ‘colored’, to ‘african american’ to ‘black’. I don’t know who keeps changing the PC rules, but I wish they’d make up their minds before I get to old to keep up. My 94 year old mother-in-law still says ‘colored’...she has no clue.
“Negrohead” is a slur? What about Whitehead? I have friends with that last name. Maybe they should change it? Nah, that would be racist.
What about butthead? You know, that negrohead in the White House.
Political correctness will destroy our country.
You Christians are so full of love for your fellow man.
Negrohead Mountain”
LOL! I bet it had a different name years ago! Kind of like Negro Andy Canyon in NW New Mexico or “Bull shirt” springs in Nevada and “Naughty girl” meadows! AKA Bull$#!t springs and Whorehouse meadows, Nev.
You'll be blackballed to the black hole of Calcutta.
butthead.....my favorite tv show
***I have yet to go to a mexican restaurant on either coast that doesn’t have a “Speedy Gonzalez” dish. ***
Any of them have nachos by THE FRITO BANDITO?
Anyway, nearly 100% of the place names with “Negro”, sure weren’t called “Negro” 100 or more years ago.
Same thing here in Nevada. I used to hunt chukar with my dad at N-word Creek, which was later changed to Negro Creek. Haven’t looked lately to see what it’s been changed to now, if at all. At least it wasn’t as bad as M-fer Mountain down in Central NV near Tonopah.
***Can we still say “blacksmith?” ***
I’m OFFENDED! I will go outside and cry on may anvil! I feel so slighted I might lame the next horse I shoe!
I got this great urge to start up the coal forge and create CO2 and SO2 while heating iron!
LOL! Haven't seen that.
I should have stated that I mean the little local mom and pop shops. The national chains wouldn't be caught dead with "Speedy Gonzalez" meals, even for the kids.
(PS: I really, really love authentic mexican food.)
I live in Indiana. We have a cave named with the “N” word included, as well as a road in the county I live in. The road is only known by that name by old timers. No one else would know. More revisionist history. No racial intentions.
My Mom has a 50 year old cook book called the “Ni$$er Toe Cook Book”. (cooking with brazil nuts) I’d better tell her to change the name to the “African American Toe Cook Book”!
“Is ‘negrohead’ a slur?”
Many of the “offensive” names on maps were revised around the 1970’s or so.
Have seen changes such as S*** Creek becoming Nasty Creek. One, in Arizona, is marked Negro Creek, but older maps show it as *i*g*r Creek!
One mountain range, inside the Air Force Gunnery Range in Arizona, now know as the Outhouse Mountains, IIRC, was know at the S*** House Mountains.
From a distance it looked like a giant outhouse! lol
We have a lake in sullivan county PA that was called niger lake on the map.I dont know if it has been changed yet but it propably has. I have to check on that.
I’m fine as long as they leave Nellies Nipple alone...
Negro Creek will now be known as “Welfare Wash”.
***the “Ni$$er Toe Cook Book”. (cooking with brazil nuts)***
In my youth that is what they were called! Not Brazil nuts!and certan fireworks were NOT known as rat chasers.
Have you noticed that certain thissle seed for birds is not known by the simple name Niger seed but NYGER seed!
Outside Austin, there’s a creek that was once called “N——r Creek”. Wonder why they called it that? It was because if you followed it east it took you to “N——r Cemetary”. The libs got them changed in the 1970s.
What about changing these names.
White river.
White sands beach
White hills
so on and so on.
When I was a kid a long time ago we had a hell of alot of fun going to Nigger bar on the American river in Caly. Still call it that even though they changed the name. Screw PC.
I don’t think it was considered a slur 100 years ago.
“renamed the “Hills of Color.””
Jesse will want 20M and the name Rainbow Hills.
Is it my imagination, or wasn’t “afro-american” the preferred adjective somewhere in that progression?
Maybe South Dakota’s Black Hills should be renamed the “Hills of Color.”
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
them’s fightin words
Be careful what you ask for.
Shortly after my mother and father married (1940) they traded a bottle of cheap whiskey for a little black dog. They named the dog ‘N....r’. I was five years old when the little dog died. It was my kindergarten teacher who adviced me that N.....r was not a polite name for a person or a pet. On his lath grave marker I wrote in crayon, “My blacke doge”.
I guess Maryland will be next with Negro Montain.
“The Naming of Negro Mountain. Nemesis, a black frontiersman, was killed here while fighting Indians with Maryland frontiersman Thomas Cresap in the 1750s. Legend tells us that he had a premonition of his death. In his honor, they named this mountain after him.”
Should have included this.
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=5409
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