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In the News Trustees Abboud and Croninger, who co-authored the resolution, defunding the police,” said Abboud. “We are not endorsing a platform.” by Jun Starkey SBCC Board of Trustees Votes insisted the statement was meant to be interpreted as a phrase, not an endorsement of an organization. However, Gallardo maintained her On June 23 at the Santa Barbara Unified School District, the vote was unanimous, but came after a massive protest that led to a list of demands on BLM Resolution belief that the capitalization of the whole phrase ‘Black Lives Matter’ delivered at the district’s doorstep. Government resolutions are usualN ot since the Civil Rights Movement more than 60 years ago, has the country experienced such a revolution of attitudes about race and justice in America. The killing of George Floyd Santa Barbara City College is no stranger to racial controversies. After an administrator used the unabbreviated N-word during a gender and equity meeting in November 2018, students protested at the folwas intentional. More recently, the college’s campus climate survey revealed a great lack of trust ly top-down, where a bureaucrat or a politician wants to take a symbolic stand on a hot-button issue. In this case, these resolutions were brought by activists and students, by people of color, not asking for change, but demanding it. and several other recent deaths of unarmed Black people at the hands of law enforcement has sparked maslowing Board of Trustees meetings, calling for her to be fired. The college also briefly became a segment between employees and campus leadership. Laura Capps, president of the Board of Education, said she felt the need to respond quickly to the stusive outrage across a nation, where on Fox News after the Board of dents’ demands. millions temporarily put aside a pandemic in favor of protest. Trustees stopped reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at its meetings, citing Trustee Abboud told “Students came to us,” Capps said. “Their leadership was so impactful In this age of the Internet and social media, the battles for justice are no longer just waged in person. A generation of people who grew up with the pledge’s history of white nationalism. More recently, the college’s campus climate survey revealed a great lack the Montecito Journal the resolution was also a partial response to the discontent we wanted to act as fast as possible.” The school board also approved the content for two new ethnic studies courses, as stated in the students’ phones in their pockets and Wi-Fi more ubiquitous than television of trust between employees and campus leadership. on campus. demands. “The learning never stops,” Capps has found its first defining, seminal Trustee Abboud told the Montecito said. “We need to listen to students.” moment of no return. Even the moderate paradise of Santa Barbara was not immune to the Journal the resolution was also a partial response to the discontent on campus. “We didn’t have a response at all last year,” he said. The Santa Barbara City Council also unanimously passed a resolution condemning police brutality, revolution. “We didn’t have a response at all “It’s catching up to us.” and declaring racism a public health

Santa Barbara’s government leadlast year,” he said. “It’s catching up emergency. ers aren’t known for their ability to to us.” City College instructor and Santa respond quickly to the changes or Initially, Nielsen only advocated for She said she could not, in her Barbara City Councilwoman Kristen concerns raised by the community. So the addition of the word “identifycapacity as a first-grade teacher, supSneddon told the Montecito Journal it’s remarkable that in recent weeks ing,” to the statement about dismanport something that called to defund she supports the movement. For just about every government panel tling racial inequity. the police. She also refused any sugher, it’s not about criticizing cops, and board has passed some kind of “I want more emphasis on identifygestion to alter the phrase. but recognizing a real situation that resolution in support of Black Lives ing what to dismantle,” he said. This “I don’t want to frame it another many people in the community Matter and those who died at the minor amendment was passed later way... I don’t want you to lowercase experience. hands of cops. in the meeting, but Nielsen went on it because that wasn’t the intent,” “We have to move out of the mode of

But since it’s Santa Barbara, it’s to say that he did not agree with the Gallardo said. thinking we are attacking police with complicated. phrase ‘Black Lives Matter’ itself. For other board members, it wasn’t this,” said Sneddon. “It’s about set

That was on full display last week “I’m one of those weird people a moment to start slicing and dicing ting intention, and you can’t address when the Santa Barbara City College that thinks all lives matter,” Nielsen the micro-definition of words. a problem until you acknowledge the Board of Trustees, widely regarded as said. “Black lives matter, but all lives “I don’t think we’re here to debate problem.” •MJ one of the best community colleges matter.” in the nation, voted on a resolution Trustee Gallardo, whose seat, along meant to affirm its commitment to with Nielsen’s, are on the ballot this Black students, faculty and staff. November, looked into the Black

While the cities of Santa Barbara, Lives Matter group after reading Goleta and the county Board of the resolution. She was apparently Supervisors passed their resolutions unaware that Black Lives Matter was swiftly, City College trustees debated over semantics and implications. associated with calls to defund the police. The best little paper in America (Covering the best little community anywhere!) The resolution passed 5-2 Thursday, and includes a statement condemning police brutality and affirming that J ARROTT & CO. Executive Editor/CEO Gwyn Lurie • Publisher/COO Timothy Lennon Buckley Editor At Large Kelly Mahan Herrick • News and Feature Editor Nicholas Schou Associate Editor Bob Hazard • Copy Editor Lily Buckley Harbin Arts and Entertainment Editor Steven Libowitz Black lives matter, as well as plans to involve Black faculty, students and staff more in efforts to address racial inequity. The two trustees who voted against the resolution, Craig Nielsen and Veronica Gallardo, clashed with the rest of the board over the addition of two words, as well as the capitalization of the phrase ‘Black Lives REAL E S T A T E INV E S T MENT SPECIALIZING IN 1031 TAX-DEFERRED EXCHANGES AND TRIPLE NET L EASED INVESTMENT PROPERTIES WITH NATIONAL TENANTS MANAGEMENT FREE S Contributors Scott Craig, Julia Rodgers, Ashleigh Brilliant, Sigrid Toye, Zach Rosen, Kim Crail Gossip Richard Mineards • History Hattie Beresford • Humor Ernie Witham Our Town Joanne A. Calitri Society Lynda Millner • Travel Jerry Dunn • Sportsman Dr. John Burk • Trail Talk Lynn P. Kirst Account Managers Sue Brooks, Tanis Nelson, Casey Champion Bookkeeping Diane Davidson, Christine Merrick • Proofreading Helen Buckley Design/Production Trent Watanabe Published by Montecito Journal Media Group, LLC PRINTED BY NPCP INC., SANTA BARBARA, CA Matter.’ Montecito Journal is compiled, compounded, calibrated, cogitated over, and coughed up every Wednesday by an “We are just, in this resolution, affirming three simple words, which are Black lives matter,” said Trustee Len CALL Jarrott, MBA, CCIM 805-569-5999 exacting agglomeration of excitable (and often exemplary) expert edifiers at 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite H, Montecito, CA 93108. How to reach us: Editorial: (805) 565-1860; Sue Brooks: ext. 4; Christine Merrick: ext. 3; Classified: ext. 3; FAX: (805) 969-6654; Letters to Editor: Montecito Journal, 1206 Coast Village Circle, Suite H, Montecito, CA 93108; Jonathan Abboud during the meethttp://www.jarrott.com E-MAIL: tim@montecitojournal.net ing. 36 MONTECITO JOURNAL “With freedom, books, flowers, and the moon, who could not be happy?” – Oscar Wilde 2 – 9 July 2020