Seccombe Lake Recreation Area

160 E 5th St, San Bernardino, CA 92415

This park was named after William Seccombe former Mayor and Segregationist. 

On a summer day in 1943, the priest, J.R. Nuñez, and three Mexican children of his parish were refused admittance to the Municipal Plunge because they were Mexicans.

At that time, Mexicans were allowed to use the city’s Perris Hill Plunge Pool only one day a week, the day before it was drained and cleaned.

San Bernardino’s Mexican American Defense Committee and its members, newsmen Ignacio Lopez, Eugenio Nogueras, and Father Nuñez sent a letter to Mayor W.C. Seccombe and the City Council demanding that Mexicans be allowed to use the municipal pool during all of the hours it was open to the public.

However, Seccombe and city officials refused, arguing that Mexicans were too dirty to use the facilities.

In response, Lopez and other leaders of San Bernardino’s Mexican community filed a lawsuit against the city of San Bernardino.

Lopez v. Seccombe. The court determined that people of Latin American descent were being discriminated against in the use of recreational parks and swimming pools in the city of San Bernardino.  It was acknowledged that the city and all its elected and nominated representatives were at fault and breached the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution. The court directed that all recreational parks stop discriminating against Mexicans and allow them to enjoy the facilities.

Teamsters Local 1932 Hispanic Caucus is collecting signatures to change the parks name to Ignacio Lopez Park

"We must educate our community of our past, the racial divides and class struggles we have faced. Our Union has fought these issues for over 100 years, we are proud to continue the fight against the injustices not only at the workplace but in our communities we must bring unity and solidarity to our future.” 

Carlos R. Gonzales 

President Teamsters Hispanic Caucus