SRJC student asks: Should Luther Burbank's dark past lead to a name change of Burbank Auditorium?

A recent opinion piece in the Santa Rosa Junior College student paper has the campus buzzing.|

The era of righting historical wrongs is in full swing. The removal of Confederate monuments, and the renaming of Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day are just a few examples of a changing tide sweeping the nation and polarizing communities split on racially insensitive issues from the past.

For the most part, Sonoma County has flown under the radar during the country's cultural shift. However, a recent opinion piece from the Santa Rosa Junior College student media outlet, The Oak Leaf, brings to light some little-known facts about a local legend's dark past.

The piece calls into question the “racist past” of hometown hero and world-renowned botanist Luther Burbank revealing that Burbank was a leader of Santa Rosa's anti-Chinese league movement in the late-1800s.

As SRJC renovates the Burbank Auditorium to celebrate its centennial anniversary, the piece asks whether the new building should receive a new name given Burbank's racist past?

Santa Rosa Junior College student and Oak Leaf Features Editor Julia Modell felt compelled to raise the question to the SRJC community.

“Growing up in Sonoma County, I've heard about Burbank all my life. It was only recently that I learned of the Chinese history here, and I had to dig pretty hard for that,” Modell said.

Modell, who earned a bachelor's degree in plant science from UC Davis, now sees the famed botanist as something of a fallen idol for her.

“I still love the Santa Rosa plum; best plum I've ever had. Unfortunately, I just don't have that same type of love for its creator anymore,” Modell said. “I see a clearer picture of who the man really was now.”

In light of this information, should Luther Burbank, whose name adorns several buildings in Santa Rosa, be removed from the SRJC auditorium in favor of someone else? And if so, who?

What do you think? Let us know in the comments.

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