James D. Phelan, San Francisco's insular and racist mayor from 1897 to 1902, will finally have his name stripped off a prominent Balboa Park street in order to make room for Frida Kahlo Way.
Last week, The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted unanimously (11-0) to green light the street renaming from “Phelan Avenue” to “Frida Kahlo Way,” a calculated step to distance the city from the 19th century mayor who once said "Keep California white." This change also addresses the many complaints raised by the City College of San Francisco’s Ocean Campus over the tone-deaf street name.
“Given the anti-immigrant and racist policies emanating from Washington DC, there has been an increased effort both locally and nationally to remove names from public statues and places which honor figures who espoused racism,” said Supervisor Norman Yee.
“Renaming Phelan Avenue to Frida Kahlo Way not only honors an internationally renowned woman artist of color,” added Leslie Simon, an interdisciplinary instructor at CCSF. “[The street renaming] also will call attention to the bond between the great muralist and the great painter when tour guides say ‘Take Frida Kahlo Way to the Diego Rivera mural.'”
The full switch from Phelan Avenue to Frida Kahlo Way will take around five years to help mitigate potential confusion. In the meantime, the city will post signage indicating both street names.