Sherman R. Frederick
Marinscope
It’s all over but the shouting: Sir Francis Drake Boulevard will remain Sir Francis Drake Boulevard with the outside possibility that sometime in the future a second name may become attached to the thoroughfare that recognizes the historical significance of the indigenous Miwok people.
The development is a step-back from the original idea advanced by progressives to eliminate Drake’s name on the grounds he was a slave trader and unworthy of recognition in 2021. As the idea became known, intense push-back developed that challenged the idea as a “white guilt” inspired reaction.
The county started the “dump Drake” movement with study sessions that included two elected representatives from every town in which Sir Francis Drake Boulevard runs through. Those elected officials were to bring the idea to their respective towns, vote on it, and get back to the county.
It did not go down easy. Local officials in all jurisdictions said the idea produced more heat than light with citizens. It was especially hard on residents and businesses who lived on the road and would face financial hardships if the road’s name were to legally be changed.
First, the town of Ross voted flat-out against the idea of changing the name. Next came Larkspur, which said “no” but would consider co-naming the road so long as Sir Francis Drake remains the legal name. Fairfax, the most liberal-leaning of Marin cities politically, weighed in after that with a full-throated “yes” to renaming the road.
Then came San Anselmo which essentially did nothing. Two motions at the town’s March 9 meeting that might have changed the name failed. So the council took no position.
And finally on March 9, the County Board of Supervisors circled back and voted 4-1 to keep Sir Francis Drake as the legal name and adopt a Miwok name as the secondary name. The county will now regroup with representatives of Larkspur, Ross, San Anselmo and Fairfax and try to build consensus around a Miwok-centric secondary name.
Sir Francis Drake was the first human to circumnavigate the globe. He shipwrecked in Marin and by all historical accounts was kind to the Miwok who interacted with him and his crew in the five weeks they were here. The latest scholarship on Drake portray him as a participant in the slave trade as a young man who later life became an opponent of slave trade. Marin named the road after Sir Francis Drake in the 1930s as a marketing ploy to attract visitors to Marin.
Another “dump Drake” move in Marin also received push-back last Sunday. A group of people protested the change of Sir Francis Drake High School with a car caravan that travelled the length of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard.
Drake alumnus Bill Hamm organized the protest. He said: “This call to action is for those of us who understand the moral issue, but want to stop the madness of thinking we can change history by changing the name of a boulevard, business, school or even America.”
Unlike the boulevard, the teachers and administration at Drake High School have already changed the name and have removed Drake signs on campus. Teachers at the high school in supporting the name change said it was almost impossible to teach children of color and children with disabilities with the name of slave-trader Drake looming over the school.
The school’s temporary name is High School 1327. But four names have been selected as possible successors — Awani-wi, Olema Trail, Creekside and Bon Tempe.
The name Awani-wi received special ridicule for how it sounds in English. Critics asked people to imagine what it would be like for future students playing sports at “I Wanna Wee” high school.
Leave a Reply