Jack Griffith London though a prolific writer was also grossly and publicly racist.

Through his writing The Salt of the Earth London states that English speaking Anglo Saxons are "the salt of the Earth" and "a race of mastery and achievement."

In his book Adventure, London tells the tale of  a white man who "rode pick-a-back on a woolly-headed, black-skinned savage."

These are just a couple of examples of his grotesque racism and the city of Oakland should not celebrate an individual who proudly voiced such hate filled beliefs.

We should replace the name “Jack London Square” with that of a true Oakland hero and icon, “Bobby Seale Plaza” in honor of Robert George Seale the Co-founder and Chairman of the Black Panther Party who is still alive to this day fighting for equal rights for all people. 

Oakland is a beautiful and progressive city and our landmarks and monuments should reflect that to be true. Signing this petition will hopefully bring awareness to this this overlooked issue and the people will choose to no longer celebrate the legacy of a bigot while simultaneously allowing the opportunity  to empower a beloved figure of the Oakland community.