SAN DIEGO, CA — Nearly two years have passed since San Diego officials triumphantly announced the allocation of state funding to restore one of the city’s most symbolic and emotionally resonant artworks: The Black Family sculpture. Today, residents and community leaders continue to wait—frustrated and disheartened by bureaucratic delays, stalled paperwork, and a timeline that has stretched thin the community’s patience.
“The city made promises. We’re still waiting to see our history brought back to life,” says Jeffrey Hayes, a dedicated community advocate who has championed the sculpture’s return for years.
Originally created in 1974 by artist Rossie Wade, The Black Family was more than just a wooden statue—it was a towering six-foot beacon of identity, unity, and belonging for the Mountain View neighborhood. Depicting a family of four reaching for the sky, the sculpture stood as a testament to local values and community pride, stationed prominently in what is now known as Neal Petties Mountain View Community Park.
A Beloved Legacy in Disrepair
Over time, weather, vandalism, and neglect took their toll. The original sculpture deteriorated beyond repair, leaving only a battered pedestal and a weathered plaque. Still, its memory endured.
“I remember when it first went up—it meant something powerful,” Hayes recounts. “It was about us. Our families. Our future.”
Hayes, alongside Wade’s daughters Carole and Lynn, and a coalition of local residents, took it upon themselves to revive the sculpture. Their grassroots advocacy attracted city interest but lacked decisive action—until a significant breakthrough in 2023.
From State Funds to City Promises
In August 2023, Mayor Todd Gloria announced that San Diego, with support from state legislators, had secured nearly $25 million in funding for vital community projects. Included in this portfolio: $195,000 specifically earmarked for the restoration of The Black Family.
“This investment represents a transformative moment for our neighborhoods,” said Mayor Gloria at the time. “These projects will strengthen communities, enhance safety, and preserve our cultural identity.”
Local leaders, including then-Assemblymember Akilah Weber, appeared alongside Hayes and Wade’s family that fall to unveil plans. The restoration would be spearheaded by welding students from the San Diego College of Continuing Education, under the guidance of Professor Mike Bradbury. A smaller version of the sculpture—previously replicated for the college—had already made its debut in the city’s 42nd annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade in January 2024.
For a brief moment, hope blossomed.
Delays and Disappointment
But hope soon gave way to confusion. Despite the City Council’s approval of the funding allocation in March 2024, actual work on the park’s sculpture has yet to commence. According to internal communications obtained by the Neal Petties Mountain View Community Recreation Group, the city only recently reached the planning and procurement phase, with no physical restoration underway.
In an official statement, Christine Jones, the city’s Chief of Civic Art Strategies, clarified that the city was still finalizing agreements with the college and working to obtain legal permission from the sculpture’s copyright holders—Wade’s daughters.
City spokesperson Racquel Vasquez added that departments are completing standard contractual requirements, including insurance, and expect to release funds to the college by the end of summer 2025.
“Until the paperwork is finalized, our hands are tied,” she stated via email.
A Reflection of Historical Neglect
Community members see the delay as emblematic of a broader pattern—one where historically underserved neighborhoods like Mountain View are too often placed at the back of the line. While other major projects funded from the same $24.8 million—like the Ocean Beach Pier replacement or the San Ysidro Library expansion—are already in progress, Mountain View’s cherished sculpture remains untouched.
Even improvements to the park’s sports courts took years to complete, forcing residents to play on cracked surfaces until recent repairs were finished in March.
“We’re not just talking about a statue,” says Carole Wade Boyce, daughter of the late artist. “We’re talking about a representation of dignity. Of family. Of Black excellence.”
The Path Ahead
According to city officials, the final paperwork is expected to be processed by late summer 2025, with the sculpture fabrication and installation planned for completion by the end of that year. Additional upgrades to the park’s accessibility and infrastructure are also in design, promising a broader revitalization of the space.
Until then, The Black Family remains absent from its rightful place. In its stead: weeds, graffiti, and the ghosts of civic promises.
Yet Hayes remains cautiously optimistic.
“This community has waited long enough,” he says. “Once it returns, it won’t just be a sculpture—it’ll be a symbol that this city finally listened. It’ll bring structure, pride, and unity back to Mountain View. That’s what I’m looking for.”
A Call to Action
As San Diego continues to evolve, it’s critical not to lose sight of the narratives and landmarks that define its neighborhoods. The Black Family is not merely a public art piece—it’s a cultural cornerstone, and its restoration is a necessary step toward healing historical inequities.
For those watching from across the city and beyond, this is more than a restoration project—it’s a litmus test of commitment to equity, culture, and community voice.
The city’s residents, especially those in Mountain View, deserve to see their history back—not just in words, but in bronze, wood, and visible action.