Jim Crow Road sparks wokeness debate in Northern California town

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A road that spans less than a mile in a small town about 100 miles northeast of Sacramento has prompted some in the community to call for a name change, according to a report.

The Los Angeles Times reported on Monday that Jim Crow Road was said to be named after a Hawaiian man who came to the area during the Gold Rush with the hopes of striking it rich. The precise history of the name seems to be murky.

But many Americans know Jim Crow for the laws in the South during the late 1800s through the mid-1900s that effectively disenfranchised Black voters and relegated them to the status of second-class citizens after the Civil War. President Biden recently stirred debate after he referred to Georgia’s voting reforms as "Jim Crow on steroids."

The Times reported that some residents appealed to the Sierra County Board of Supervisors in April to rename the road. Other residents fought back against the attempt and said the move is just another example of "cancel culture."

The board of supervisors is expected to hold a public hearing on Tuesday about the matter. One resident, who wants the name to be changed, told the paper that the name has an uncomfortable stigma, and he cringes when having to give his address.

Lee Adams, a Sierra County supervisor, told the Times, "A hundred percent of the people that have private property on that road asked for it to be changed. To me, this is just a no-brainer, but I also realize that everybody looks at these things different."