Patty Colman: Hello everybody and good evening. Thank you so much for spending your evening with us. Welcome to this Black History Month event sponsored by Moorpark College.
Some of you have attended several events already, and we still have a few more exciting events coming up. At the end of the program in the chat we'll
post some of those links if you're interested in registering for those. Before we begin, I want to thank our Black History Month Committee, especially our amazing incredible students,
Gerald, Analisa, Pauline, Ka Ren and Trinity. I also would like to thank our campus President, Dr. Julius Sokenu for his amazing leadership.
And I also definitely need to give a shout out and a thank you to Michael Ashton, who is our webinar czar he is our Zoom bouncer.
And as you'll probably see tonight we had a few technical glitches with our guest speaker and Michael is working behind the scenes and making it happen, so thank you so much to him.
My name is Patty Colman and I am a historian at Moorpark College. I teach American History, Women's History, and the History of Race.
I am a member of the VCCARA, the Ventura County College's Anti-Racism Alliance and tWMOCAs, Teaching Women and Men of Color Advocates. I'm also the Moorpark College Ethnic Studies Coordinator.
So, to give you just a little idea of what the plan is for tonight, I'm going to present for just maybe 15 minutes
a very, very brief history, a very brief history of the Ballard family. Then we'll move into some prepared questions that I have for Ryan.
And then we will open it up to a Q&A session with all of you, the audience.
So please, if you have questions during the presentation, please go ahead and look for the Q&A at the bottom of your screen there and type those questions in.
I also wanted to just make a couple of quick housekeeping announcements, this is closed captioned. Just look for the "CC" on the bottom of the screen and also just kind of a quick note about civility here at Moorpark College, we all know that this world can sometimes
include some not wonderful people who have some nefarious things on their mind and we just want to make sure that this webinar is a safe, and secure, and respectful as can be,
certainly our college has done a great job with webinar security already, but I just wanted to remind everybody of that. So, with that, I think we are ready to begin.
As historians, we are trained to study the written record of past events. We spend hours or careers pouring over documents, like books and old newspapers, articles, treaties, searching for understanding, meaning, and truth.
Well over a decade ago, while conducting my own research, I found all of that, and more, in a single letter.
No I'm not talking about a correspondence like a letter that someone wrote to somebody else, I'm talking about a single letter a letter from the alphabet the letter N.
I was conducting research for the National Park Service on settlers in the Santa Monica mountains. That's the mountain chain that runs along the coast between Santa Monica up to Point Mugu. And as I scrolled through old census data I saw something.
An N.
The N denoted the race of a family living in a remote valley in 1900 and I was shocked, amazed, my curiosity was going crazy.
A Black pioneer family, homesteaders in a remote canyon in the Santa Monica mountains, they were not supposed to be there.
Traditional narrative history of Southern California, says the 19th century settlers in these mountains were white.
You know, hardy Protestants, think little house on the prairie. I had to learn more who were these Ballards? Over the next few years, I learned that this family didn't just defy that narrative, but they rewrote history.
They fled slavery, fought for civil rights, healed the sick, defended this country in war, and this family has been making a difference in LA for 170 years.
Of the history of black Los Angeles goes back centuries. Mulatto soldiers and mixed race soldiers came to California, as part of the Portola and De Anza expeditions on behalf of the Spanish crown.
When the city of Los Angeles was founded in 1781, approximately half of the original Pabladores were of African descent.
After the Mexican American war in 1848, California and much of the American West became part of the United States. And the dominant white society impose new laws and traditions upon the population, and a new era began.
In 1850 after much debate, California technically, became free state. Now I say technically, because slavery was alive and well in California during the 1850s.
It was an open dirty secret that native Chinese and African Americans were held as unfreed persons in a system that I call a spectrum of unfree.
Like everywhere in the country at the time, the California Constitution established a racial hierarchy. They were barred from voting, testifying in court against whites, they were not citizens.
1850s Los Angeles was a rough, violent, dusty small town, with only a little over 1,600 residents. Just compare that to San Francisco at the time they had over 34,000 people. In the 1850 census, 12 residents were not only just black or mulatto.
Most of them came from southern states, lived in white homes, and worked for White families.
Slowly over the decade of trickle of Black men and women, came to Los Angeles, mostly from slave states and in the company of a White person suggesting some sort of servitude.
For example, in 1852, Biddy Mason and her family arrived in San Bernardino as the enslaved property of Robert Smith.
These were senators from Utah who attempted to establish a mormon
colony in California. Biddy Mason as many of you know, went on to win her freedom in an LA courtroom in 1856. I believe John Ballard from Kentucky and his wife Amanda from Texas, came to LA in a similar way they were brought here as unfree laborers.
After they wed in 1859 John and Amanda immediately their own autonomous household that over the next 10 years they would fill with seven children.
But think about this, while the southern states succeeded and thousands dying on the battlefields of Antietam and Lincoln issued the emancipation proclamation,
John Ballard was paying his taxes on property that he owned he was buying land from prominent White citizens in town and he owned his own home.
And it could not have been easy for a southern Black man to assert himself that way, considering the strong confederate sentiment here in Los Angeles.
And yet, just four years after the end of the civil war, he and a group of activists took yet another momentous step in building their community.
They bought property to start their own church, the first African Methodist Episcopal church, which stood at Fourth and Grand in Downtown LA. Big old skyscraper stands there now.
To give you an idea of what Los Angeles was like in 1869 for this community, I want to read just a tiny little snippet of a description
written by a well known Black clergyman a man named Bishop Ward who traveled to Los Angeles, in the summer of 1869 and he printed a description of the city in a newspaper, this is a little bit of what he had to say.
"The colored population of this city is small, numbering less than 100 souls, but they are a noble hearted, public spirited band.
In our church enterprise, they have covered themselves all over with glory. On the 24th a meeting was held in school house and they subscribe nearly 1400 dollars towards building a church.
Our people here are industrious and highly respected by the entire community. Many of them have worn the iron yoke of oppression.
Nearly all of them own real estate, which signifies power everywhere.
The opinion prevails, that when the colored people build a good church, have an able preacher, and an accomplished teacher for their school,
they will have fully entered upon a career of usefulness and greatness. There is a noble little band here, among them are Redding, Green Smith, Smiley, Ballard, and many others. Hearts as warm as the sunlight quivers on the glad waters."
So this church became a center not only for spiritual life, but a center for civic engagement and civil rights.
These church leaders participated in numerous statewide they were called colored conventions, aimed at overturning racist laws and policies in California.
For a time, African American children even attended school in the church building. These leaders organized celebrations to commemorate the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment.
But perhaps one of the most successful campaigns was the effort to win the right to vote for Black men. Indeed on July 5, 1871 John Ballard registered to vote and consistently exercise that right throughout his life.
The 1870s saw many changes for the Ballard family and for Los Angeles in general.
Amanda Ballard died due to complications of childbirth in 1871. Financial panic of 1873 ruined banks caused havoc
across the country with high unemployment rates. Then the railroad came in 1876 and soon after the population of the city increased by 500%. Most of them were whites from the East and the Midwest.
Los Angeles as John Ballard knew it had changed.
So in 1880 he left. He his new wife, Francis, and their youngest children settled on 160 acres near Triunfo Creek, present day Agoura.
But at that time, a lifetime away from the bustling, growing metropolis of Los Angeles. In time Ballard built a cabin, kitchen,
barn, cleared land for an orchard in a small vineyard, raised some chickens. It was not easy, work, though I'm guessing hard work for this family was not something they shied away from. And now, are you ready to meet Mr. Ballard?
There's the only known picture of him.
You know, he didn't back down easily. While the Ballards did have some friendly supportive White neighbors at least twice in the 1890s,
terrorists burned down his home and tried to run the family out of the mountains. In response, he put a sign up over the ruins that said, "This was the work of the devil."
It wasn't done. To solidify his right and title to the land and perhaps to show that he was not to be deterred, he and his daughter Alice each applied for a homestead patent.
It was the ultimate symbol of being an American, of belonging to this country. A homestead symbolized independence, and grit, and opportunity, and promise all those values cherished in the United States.
Once you proved your claim, the government transferred title of the land to you, in your name. So just imagine a 70 year old formerly enslaved grandfather and a 30 year old African American single woman walking into that land office, at the height of Jim Crow.
By the early 1900s, John Ballard was again a widow and Alice and her family had moved away.
John Ballard died in 1905 and was buried in an unmarked grave and Rosedale cemetery not far from where he wants lived and worked in the city he helped to build.
Why wasn't his name and his story known? What happened to his legacy? Now, the answer to that would take a really long time but I'd like to show you one reason and one clue.
I want to show you now a map, this is a 1932 US GS map and before I zoom in I just want to warn people out there if anybody has children or if you just want to be aware,
there is an offensive N word on this map. So if you don't want to watch your look away, that's perfectly fine. I'm not going to say the word. So if you zoom in on the small corner in the right on the map you'll see
a mountain.
That was the name of the mountain where John and Alice ballard homesteaded. Now again this this map is from the 1930s. Before that there were different versions of the name, you know, some of it, use the name Ballard, some did not.
Some were hills, some were mountain.
Eventually, in the 1960s, though,
United States Government decided to take all of the place names in America that use that offensive word and change it to negro. So in the 1960s, all the maps then were reprinted that showed this landmark this mountain as negro head mountain.
Well, some local neighbors in the area, Nick and Nikki Noxon, Paul and Leah Culberg, they decided the name of that mountain had to go. And in 2009,
a small group of us well actually the group kind of grew, we approached the Board of Supervisors we involve the Department of the Interior and we convinced them to rename that mountain. So in 2009 the mountain became Ballard Mountain.
And you can now see what the plaque looks like, that sits at the base of the mountain. And you can go and visit this if you'd like it's off of Kanan Road as you head west towards Malibu.
But my research has led me to uncover a story of an incredible life, and I was in from more of a surprise, as I began to learn that the Ballard legacy continued on through generations.
Meet John and Amanda's grandson, Claudius Ballard born in 1890 this young man was one of the first African Americans to graduate from USC.
And then earn a medical degree from Berkeley in 1913. He returned to his hometown to practice medicine that was soon called into military service as the United States entered World War One.
Dr. Claudius Ballard served as First Lieutenant of the Medical Corps of the eighth Illinois regiment in Europe.
Although American soldiers served in segregated units, the French were more than happy to receive the help of black soldiers and for his valor in warfare.
Dr. Claudius Ballard was awarded the Croix de Guerre, the French or cross after the war he came back to Los Angeles founded a medical clinic and was an active member in organizations such as the National Medical Association and the NAACP.
He and his wife May had a family, including this gentleman that you'll see in the middle of the photo on the right.
Mr. Reginald Ballard and our guests father that we're going to hear from tonight.
A third generation native Angeleno who like his father was called to serve his country in World War Two as a teenager, by the way.
Mr. Ballard trained with the Tuskegee Airmen and after the war, became a firefighter. In the 1950s, the Los Angeles Fire Department was segregated, but that was about to change, as our special guest Ryan can tell us about tonight.
So I'm going to close, we just barely scratched the surface on this incredible family, and story, and history.
Please email me at the end of this program if you'd like more resources or want to read my article, or want to know more about the family, and I think Ryan, and I will also post some links at the end as well.
But before I introduce our guest, I just want to say, you know, thank you for being here tonight to celebrate Black History Month and, you know, we're at this time in our history when we're having to convince people that Black lives matter.
And this story, and this family serves as a testament that Black lives matter because Black lives built this city, defended this country, protected our community from fires. Black lives matter, Black lives are why we have this great country.
So with that, I would like to welcome our special guest Ryan Ballard. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.
He served on the Board of Directors, as the Western Region Assistant Vice President, representing college students from the states of California and Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Washington, and New Mexico.
He continues the Ballard family legacy of making a difference in LA. As a former youth director of the first Church of God Center of Hope.
The President elect of the Long Beach Public Library Foundation and the member of the African American Firefighter Museum Board, where he is proud to secure the legacy of his father Reginald Ballard, Senior.
He is a special education teacher and is married to Nicole, who I have met, and he totally married up by the way, and they have three beautiful wonderful sons. So with that I'd like to say hello, and welcome my friend Ryan Ballard. Hello.
Ryan Ballard: Hello there, thank you so much, you are awesome.
Patty : Ryan, people are listening don't say that.
Well, thank you so much, I know, we had some technical glitches there but I'm glad you could join us.
Ryan: Yes, I am thrilled. I am thrilled. Before you enter into questions I'm going to ask you a question.
Okay, what do your students call you?
Patty: And they can call me Patty, or Professor Colman, or Miss Colman it's up to them, you're call, why? You call me Patty.
Ryan: Well, I was gonna, I wanted to respect your position and call you professor, I was gonna call you, it would have been a little weird.
Patty: It would have been a little weird.
Ryan: Because I don't acknowledge your
professorship, but just because I consider you a friend.
[Patty]: Yes, well, I appreciate that. Patty is fine, thank you. [Ryan]: Okay excellent.
Patty: So okay Ryan, we do have, some I have some kind of formal questions for you, I did, and in all transparency, I emailed Ryan some of these questions because they're kind of deep and I wanted him to think a little bit about it.
And again, please, if you have questions, please put those in the Q&A and we'll get to those in just a little bit. So my first question Ryan, is this.
Tell us what it feels like to know this family history? I mean a lot of people don't know their family, history, or certainly back this this far and and certainly many African American families don't know this history. So what does it mean to you?
Ryan: I think it's very, very important. Thinking just about that, I think, in every family, there is at least one person who takes a particular interest in their family's history. I don't think I'm necessarily alone, but part of the reason I get to
participate with you today is because I have taken a considerable interest in knowing about my family's history and
I don't necessarily know why, but, as I indicated, I think, in every family there is somebody who gives ear to what their mom shares with them, or what their dad shares with them and I've always
been proud of my family. I mean I don't think we're special, I don't think it's because, you know, we're
better than anybody else but, I've just been proud of my family just because I love them like, you know, anybody else would love their family. So it's very, very important to me
to know this history, to find out something more obviously, more than what we've already know, you know, is is extremely important and I love it.
Patty: Well, I think, several met most of us in the audience would disagree with you that your family is special, by the way, but how does, how does knowing this history influence, maybe your work, or maybe even how you raise your sons?
Ryan: Well it's so funny that you would ask that question, because it definitely does. You know, not to suggest
that we, you know,
are in some way,
you know, deport ourselves and at a higher level, and, you know, our standard, but we certainly do have a standard, and I do raise my sons I let them know, "You're a Ballard."
And I have to tell you Patty where that comes from it's not because we were people of note. My parents were very, very
adamant about, "You are no better than anybody else, but you're certainly no worse than anybody else,. No one is better than you," and really that was just kind of how we were raised, we were taught that way.
So that's just how we work imperfections and all.
And, and there are many, but, you know, you have to, you know, you should stand proudly for who you are and you don't miss treat other people, because they have every right to be proud of who they are, etc, and that's really just how I was raised.
Patty: Well, and I mean when you meet, you know, I've had the good fortune of meeting your father and when you meet him, you get that he's such a respectful kind gentleman, you know, but tell us a little bit about his work as a as a fireman and the desegregation of the fire department.
Ryan: Well I'm gonna kind of backtrack just slightly and how he transitioned. So yes, my father is a Tuskegee Airmen and it's so funny because I think in the last maybe 30 years or so it's gained some degree of popularity. So we always believe was a Tuskegee Airmen but,
it was not, it was not a pleasant experience. As a Black man in World War Two,
that wasn't something and I'll just confess it wasn't something he took much pride in. He said because
he was mistreated.
So, and he, you know, by his own admission, will say that he was he's very naive, he didn't expect it, he didn't know it.
So after he, you know,
left the military, you know, not feeling particularly proud of any experience he had there, he actually went to, he was dating the most beautiful woman in the world,
my mother and he wanted to marry her, and you referenced kind of his character that is, "I want to marry this woman, so I need to have a good job."
And that was his reason for joining the fire department. He used to work at an ice cream plant
and he said he made more money at the high school ice cream plant than he did at becoming a firefighter but becoming a firefighter had longevity was his thought.
And so, he joined what he did not know was a segregated fire department.
Now he speaks very proudly about his experience in the fire department, because while it was segregated when he started, when he left it was desegregated and he was a part of the group that sued the city of Los Angeles, so that they would integrate the fire department.
And he is proud of that, because that was an experience that he had, and he won. You know, and I don't think he felt like there was any winning with the Tuskegee Airmen experience, you know, so.
That's how that came about.
Patty: Yeah and, by the way, if anyone does get an opportunity to go down to the African American Firefighter Museum in LA, you should definitely do that it's an amazing museum.
Ryan: To that point Patty, that fire station that museum that is now a museum that was actually the first fire station that he worked at, and it was only it was one of only two fire stations where blacks could work when he started in the fire department in 1949.
And they were both on Central Avenue, and while this was going to lead us in another direction, Central Avenue is noteworthy because that kind of served as the dividing line in Los Angeles.
Most blacks didn't live on the west side of Central, you know, so the other fire station that he worked at in his early years was down the street on Central.
Patty: Right and towards the end I'll put the the website for the museum in the chat so people can can see that.
No, I want to we've talked about this before Ryan, but I want others to hear your thoughts about this. You know, John Ballard and really all of your ancestors, and in some way,
they are the American dream, right? I mean they they embody the best of us and and who we are, and yet people today still say that African Americans aren't truly American.
What do you have to say to that and how do you counteract that narrative?
Ryan: Well, in I think that's part of our... that's part of our history, it's not a pretty part of our history, but, you know, of a truth
that was intentionally left out, you know, I think those who may feel like, "Oh, you know, blacks really aren't a part of the fabric of society," they've accepted a lie.
But I think those who promoted it, knew that it was a lie, but it was done with intention, you know, in order to advance maybe your own ideas and position, you know, some people take the
stance that, "Well that means I've got to, you know, oppress another group. You know, I'm not just going to, you know, run this race, but I've got to put some obstacles, you know,
in the way of this other group of people, for whatever reason, so that I can continue to advance." So,
what I've always known is and this is another thing that was kind of talked about in our family, I don't want you to think but we didn't sit down and have lessons on this, this was just kind of part of what we did every day.
And what we talked about, and what was, what was talked about over the years. I'm the youngest of six kids so certainly they weren't having these conversations with me but I'm in the room.
What I knew, and, you know, Patty and I have had the privilege of participating in a blog entitled, We Are Not Strangers Here and I've said that a couple times in the past few days, because I think that really encapsulate my thinking, that was the thinking of my father.
"We're not strangers here, this is we're here, just like everybody else," you know, and as you mentioned kind of
The American dream, if you will.
We're working hard, you know, we try to maintain a work ethic and good character and treat folks, right. Those are all those aren't black ideals.
Those and they're not ideals that are unique to my family, but those really should be, you know, ideally American ideals. You work hard you earn a good living. And it's so funny 'cause I so sound like my father.
How did that happen? But that was how, that's how I was taught us, how we were taught.
Patty: And do you ever feel like when you're, I mean when you're walking around LA, you know, and you're you're walking around this city and all these all these newcomers, right, all these people who have been here for 10 years
walking around saying they're from LA, you know, what does it feel to walk around the city and know that your roots go back so far and your family made such huge contributions to the city?
Ryan: Well, I don't necessarily think of it in terms of what my family has contributed, but I guess I
Patty: Well you should.
Well, it's funny. I do walk around with a little bit of pride, because I say
I do say, "LA is my town," you know, and as a youngster you again, of course, you've heard this story before,
but I would hear in elementary school and junior high school. So junior high school for those of you is what would be the equivalent of middle school I know I'm telling my age Patty you don't know anything about that, your way too young.
I would hear that, "You don't act like you're from LA. Oh you're from LA?" and I would always counter say, "No, I do act like I'm from LA because I really am from LA."
And I'd say my father, and my grandfather, and my great grandfather, you know, and at that time I didn't know great great but,
I've always known we were here. So, you know, I certainly feel a connection to LA, no matter where I moved. Long Beach, or Lakewood, I lived in the valley while in college, I'm from LA and I, to this day, I guess, I should I can admit that I still say this is my town.
Patty: Good, and, you know, so you mentioned, you know, your grandfather, your great grandfather, do you have any interest any desire to try to learn more about John and Amanda's enslaved experiences?
Ryan: Absolutely, yes, absolutely. You know, it's part of the story. It's part of the story. And I don't shy away from any of it. I don't think you didn't my family does, and, you know, I will note
that I am not the spokesperson for my family, meaning that every one of my ideas and opinions is shared among all of us, but I do, I certainly don't shy away from it.
But I, and I don't think any of my
siblings or my dad doesn't, this is a part of the story.
Patty: Mhmm, yeah absolutely. And so when we were talking a little bit about the character, I had another question that I wanted to go back to for a second.
You know, the confidence or the audacity of John Ballard to walk into the LA land office and say, "I'm here for a homestead,"
right? And the confidence of Dr. Claudius Ballard to apply to medical school at Berkeley. You know, what where does that come from and and do you think that that's something that you still see today amongst your generation or your children's generation within your family?
Ryan: I think it comes from a survivor's instinct.
That's where I think it comes from, but I certainly see it. Now I haven't it's so funny because I I used to I used to be the youngest, right, and I still sometimes think of myself
that way, but then I look in the mirror and find out that's not the case, so
I don't know if I, I don't know if I've recognized it or paid attention to it with my, you know, my children they're just kids and
any of my nieces and nephews, but I will say that that is very much my father's attitude. That's what I saw, right?
My dad has always, it;s so funny because, you know, you're causing me to reflect. He's always been proud but not prideful, right? Again, I told you, he
always taught us and behaved in a manner that, "I am somebody and anybody else has a right to be somebody themselves, but I'm certainly not any less than anyone else, and neither are you." That was
you know, implicitly taught, and so I see that, I think I have, you know, some may say, I have a little bit of that in me.
But I do think it is kind of inherent so it really
ties back to what we believe is the spirit of John Ballard 'cause of that, you know, I definitely see it in our family. [Patty]: Yeah. [Ryan]: Coincidental, I guess, I even though I don't believe that there's a such thing as coincidence, but there is a certain trait that...
Patty: Yeah no let's talk about that, that is one of your favorite sayings, right?
Tell us what you mean by that, especially in the context of this presentation tonight.
Ryan: So,
you know, I would say we're a spiritual family, right, well, and, you know,
without question we were raised in the church, we some church folks and, in fact, you know, just kind of a funny aside,
My mother wouldn't marry my dad until he got himself in the Church.
And, you know, and they were dating going strong and he went out, and, you know, got the job like I said he actually bought a ring, and she said no, and he was just
oh my goodness, he was devastated and she said, and I just have to say what she said, she said, "I can't marry you because you're not saved." And if you know anything about church folks it's about salvation and he was just a mess, but guess what he got saved.
So with that that idea and that connection to our spirituality there is no such thing is is as coincidence, you know, we believe all things are orchestrated by
I'm just going to say God, some may say a higher being or whatever, nothing happens by chance, every everything is divine, and there have been so many what
I'm going to say we could label as coincidental experiences that it couldn't be coincidental. There is absolutely a
higher power at work, making these connections and all of these things that just happen. Again, you know, I'm trying to be PC and respect those who may have different
ideological beliefs, etc., but as you know I don't believe that there's a such thing as coincidence, too many things line up and and you have to ask the question, "How did that happen?
You know, "Who'd a thought?" you know, and, obviously, you know how it happened when we were looking at that newspaper article in February of 2009. I'm reading the paper, first of all, I was too young I don't read the paper but I was reading the paper and like...
Patty: You sound so old
that you were... [Ryan]: Right? [Patty]: reading the paper.
Ryan: And my dad was reading the paper. And then my sister in law and all of this seemed to be happening
almost simultaneously, you know, so for those who are participating on this call tonight, I called my dad, and again I have sometimes have to say the story, because it would be unbelievable to me, except that I
experienced it I said, "Hey dad," and he cut me off Patty and said, "Ryan, I'm looking at the paper." I said, "Dad, I am too." He said, "I'm looking at this guy he reminds me of my grandfather," you know, something like that I was thinking, "Wow are you kidding me," so.
Patty: For those people who don't know what he's talking about, so back in was it 2008 or 2009?
Ryan: It was actually 2009, it was February 2009 and and there was this professor who had done a study and who had done a talk. Yeah she's laughing because your professor is famous. Make no mistakes about it.
But, and, you know, the article talked about that and,
you know...[Patty]: And we put, when we okay, so this article ran the LA Times, you know, got a hold of this story and they did this front page story on
John Ballard and they printed that photo, that photo that we showed you all, just a few minutes ago.
And, you know, when that thing went out to print I was just praying, please let Ballard descendants be out there, please let them still be around LA and let them see this picture and make that connection, and here we are.
Ryan: Yes.
Patty: Here we are.
So let's talk about, though, that the mountain the renaming for a minute, and I referenced it earlier and it's,
you know, it's an awkward thing to talk about and talk about publicly. I'm not going to use the pejorative word right here, right now, but I think we all know what it is.
When you see that word and even in reference to your family knowing that was named that awful vile word was named with your great great grandfather, you know, as part of it, how does that feel?
Ryan: So this is interesting and I appreciate you asking that question. Sadly, it's not surprising. It's a very normal. Like I said, it's a part of the story, and it is what it is. So I suspect this is how it is for many Black people, but certainly for me,
this has become normal. I'm going to reference something that seemed to draw a great deal of attention and certainly in the United States, and maybe even in the world, but when George Floyd was killed,
it wasn't really very alarming. It was like another Black man, right? That's how it was for me, so it did not have the same shock value, as it did for some.
Because it has been a part of the story. See it's an interesting thing Patty is is we don't talk about it much, but every well I shouldn't say every,
but, most people of my hue, we don't have to talk about it because it's just a part of what is and what has been. So there's no need to talk about it because there's already an understanding. So it wasn't particularly alarming. I, you know, I even,
you know, shared that I don't even think it was really intended to be particularly offensive. Like I don't think anybody went out of their way to
want to be demeaning. I think it was just normal, "That's what we called them," that's how I see it, that's how I suspect, you know, "That's what we called them," that's what they are.
And I mean that's pretty sad but that's kind of how normal it was. So he was one of them and "That's what we called them," that's how I see it.
Patty: Yeah, you're right about that, I think, and, you know, it turns out, thousands of landmarks and place names across this country had a name like that. I mean there's a lot here in California.
In fact, I've just been in contact with a was an archaeologist down in San Diego who worked on Nathan Harrison's
been down in San Diego and there was the same name for, his land as well. So it was incredibly common. But I think it was important that when people do the renaming and they should be renamed, we don't lose the identity though, of the person,
right? [Ryan]: Yes.
Patty: You know, the mountain, we wanted to rename the mountain, but we wanted to rename the mountain and keep the memory of the man.
And I should say also, his daughter. Now some of you out there might be thinking about, "Why she talking about all these men, what about the women?"
And don't get me wrong but there's, I've done some research on that too, but, you know, it's very difficult actually to
find a lot on African American women in the 19th century, it's difficult to find those records, but some of the women in the Ballard family were incredible including Alice. And do you want to tell everybody a little bit about what's happening with her property?
Ryan: Well, let me just say to your point, that was again what was common place at the time. So not only was she a black, but she was a woman. So it's pretty hard to find things just about women because that's again, part of the story. Women couldn't vote either.
So, but what's happening now is, you know, it's so funny people always ask me, "Well you do you guys still have the property? Do you have the land? Can we hike on the land?" You know, all these questions and I always in the back of my mind Patty, you and I know,
we're working on all of that.
Patty: We're working on it.
Ryan: We're working on all of that. So we, you know, we're currently,
when I say we, just all those involved are excited that
steps are being made to make that land accessible to everyone.
Again, we're talking about 300 acres off of Kanan Road. I always say Patty knows, I say this, "That's the high rent area." It's a nice area.
Beautiful views, and you can get lost in that area because you're away from the city and all the hustle and bustle that the city affords us, but sometimes just the peace and the mana, it's beautiful. I love it every time I go up there.
But yeah so plans are being made it to be public land, and available, you know, for all to access and to see and to remember like you say I appreciate, you know, you mentioning how you do want to honor the person, because, you know, again,
names do matter, because because people matter you know? And, you know, we say Black lives matter the appropriate response shouldn't be, "No, all lives matter," it should be, "Yes Black lives matter and other all lives do in fact matter," but the concern is what has been
the area of of great need.
So we've got to pull that person up, pull that group up, so that we can all rise together.
Patty: And there is a question in the Q&A about, "Was there ever any push back by either the National Park Service or any of the other agencies, or even maybe the locals to rename the mountain?"
Ryan: None that we have heard. I think everyone felt it right. I think there was a unanimous decision with the Board of Supervisors.
The supervisor of that area at the time, was Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky and that all the other supervisors agreed
that the name change was appropriate. And so what we've heard is that the renaming actually occurred in record time. And many have said, you know, they felt it was an opportunity to right a wrong.
Patty: Absolutely.
And okay there's, wait, sorry there's another question in here and...
Ryan: I'm not going.
anywhere I've got nothing to do... [Patty]: It's kind of hard
to have to keep an eye on this and, you know, have this conversation.
Okay, so somebody wants to know a little bit more, if you can, about your father's experience with Tuskegee and why it was kind of a negative experience, if you can share that.
Ryan: I love it. So here's the deal, listen to this.
My dad was the toughest, meanest guy I knew.
I've always loved him and admired him, but he is a tough cookie. Kind of what I think this generation would probably call old school, right?
Old school values and temperament and, you know, again, he wanted to marry somebody so he felt he needed to have a job. And I was like, "Nah, we marry for love."
But my father has cried two times in my 49 years of life.
The first time is when my mother passed away, and the second time he was describing, because one of my friends was interviewing him,
and he started to get emotional when he was talking about his experience in the Tuskegee Airmen. That to me was extraordinary, right? It obviously
impacted him a great deal. Recently, maybe some of you have heard about the movie Red Tails. Initially, my dad said he didn't like it, he didn't like the movie Red Tails, he said because he thought they made it look like they were having too much fun.
And, you know, my brother kind of helped, you know, "It's entertainment, license, etc., Dad it's okay," you know, it's kind of drawing attention to, you know. So he began to think differently about it, but his initial reaction was,
"That's not how it was." So, I actually love this part of the story, I, you know, again I don't know if I'm a glutton for punishment, but I love because that's what humanizes people in my opinion, so,
again, I had mentioned that my father felt like he was pretty naive, you know, he went into the service, you know, truth be told, he actually kind of grew up in a white neighborhood.
But he didn't see any difference, and these are things that he would say. And, you know, he goes to the service what happened, he corrected a White officer, when he was in the service, but he did it in with all innocence, right?
"Excuse me, Sir, a PFC Reginald Ballard here, uh, you know, I believe that the correct statement is," you know, he so he was proud.
Because he knew the right answer, and, you know, long story short, the officer said, "What's your name again?" and he again proud, "Sergeant sir, Reginald Ballard here." Well the next day, he was on what's called the
the check ride list, long story short that's where they send you it's kind of like going to the principal's office it's where you go when you're in trouble.
Where they're they're going to verify if you're really as qualified as you, you think you are. It's the pathway to washing you out, to kicking you out of the military. That's what the intent was and so
my dad describes that and again this is somebody who's reflecting on his experience he said,"I just I just didn't know better."
You know, he
in other words, he didn't know to stay in his place, but, again...
Patty: I'm sorry go ahead.
Ryan: That also connects to his actions throughout his life and that sense of value that he has and instilled in us,
and that's why he feels so proud about the fire department, because he stood up for what was right and eventually it got right. So yeah the Tuskegee Airmen experience he,
felt like it never got right.
Yeah.
Patty: And I'm sorry I that I interrupted you there, I just wanted to jump in because a great question was posted by
my good friend and Professor Emeritus Randford Hopkins he said, "Angelenos through the first half of the 20th century, sometimes referred to Los Angeles as a racial paradise compared to other cities such as New York, Chicago, Detroit, and others, what is your take on this perspective?"
Ryan: It was better, but I don't
know if it was paradise.
Patty: Mhmm.
Don't you think that was part of it, like he just he hadn't really been out of LA and when he's in this new environment, it was just a shock.
Ryan: That's exactly correct, that is exactly it because, again he grew up believing all things were well, his,
you know, again, he was
one of the few blacks in his area, where he grew up and where he attended school, etc., you know, when he got into the military, he was one of his White friends who say you know saying he was going down to enlist and my dad...
Patty: Hey Ryan, did you put your phone under a pillow or something, would you just do we couldn't hear you very well?
Okay talk now.
Ryan: Are you there can you hear me okay now?
Patty: Yeah that's good.
[Ryan]: Okay I'm sorry about that. [Patty]: That's okay. [Ryan]: I apologize I don't know where I left off, but essentially what I was saying, is to your statement he
grew up with White friends and grew up kind of in a white area and it was actually one of his White friends who said he was going to enlist and that's not the language that was used but essentially asked what he was going to do, and my dad said, "Well hey, I'll go with you."
Patty: And he was like 19 or something, right?
Oh, my gosh. [Ryan]: Let's see here...
Ya probably, 18.
Yeah 'cause he had just graduated and what's funny I think what happened was he wasn't quite old enough when he first graduated high school, so he had to wait a few months.
Patty: Unbelievable. So okay we've got five minutes left, so, we do have a few other questions in the Q&A and I really hope though, that people if they want to know more, they will please definitely
reach out to us, but I want to try and, if I can, if I can multitask, I want to put a couple of things in the chat.
And while we kind of conclude here. So while I dump these things in the chat some links to different things, Ryan, did you have any remarks you wanted to say on for Black History Month or anything like that?
Ryan: Well, one of the questions that often comes up is, this is a question that I would ask rhetorically, I would say, why do we even celebrate Black History Month?
Why is that even important, or, you know, I typically ask is it important for us to have Black History Month and, you know, 100% of the time, people will say, "Well yeah it's important...why?"
"Who the heck are they?" you know, "Why did they deserve this month?" but I think the
the notion that we have to accept is that and I mentioned this here recently that blacks were intentionally left out of history there's a certain portion there's a certain story that
was intentionally left out, right? We know and it's often been said, history is written by the winners,
not by the oppressed and many times is written, from the perspective of the, you know, the oppressed,
perspective but it doesn't celebrate the whole of it. So the reason why we have Black History Month in the first place is because we've got to tell stories that
have always been a part of the American story the international story, but didn't make it in our history books. So, you know, we're basically essentially making up for lost time and lost resources, lost access, so we're playing catch up.
And while it should be more than a month,
you know, but here we go.
[Patty]: Yeah. [Ryan]: At least it started off...
[Patty]: Yeah. [Ryan]: I was gonna say it started off as a week and, you know, now we're up to a month, so great.
Patty: But I think what we can, I mean a little bit of what I hope to do tonight, and again, I mean you're a teacher too, so you know this, like, "I could talk about this for ever," you know,
"You want me to talk about the Ballards?
I'll talk about the Ballards..."
I, you know, I think what I'm hoping that some people will take away from this is, you know, that
African American history is American history.
Right? I mean like,
that's it and we need to recognize that, right?
Ryan: That's right.
Patty So all right folks well listen, it is about that time to wrap up, I want to respect everybody's time I know we're all
probably wanting some dinner, something like that, again I want to thank everybody who helped put this event together and, especially, Michael Ashton again, our webinar czar, for helping out here.
And again, a huge thank you to Ryan, for taking the time tonight. I think we all really have learned a lot and really had a good time getting to know you Ryan. So thank you.
And everybody please don't forget I put some some links in the chat for a few more Black History Month events. Tomorrow we've got one with Professor Ranford Hopkins
and a student. We also have Dr. Cornel West coming. Yes, Ryan I didn't tell you that, before this because I didn't want you to feel pressure. We got Cornel
comin', yeah. So lots of good things coming up, and also the link to the African American Firefighter Museum and a link to the podcast that Ryan, and I were interviewed for. So,
feel free to reach out to me and if you have questions that Ryan can answer, I think you can email me, and I can forward them to you, right?
Ryan: Yeah you absolutely can. Listen, I have enjoyed this thoroughly and
that was no hyperbole, we can literally talk about this stuff all night. I love it. I'm so grateful that each of you who chimed in. I saw a couple folks say, you know, thank you for joining.
"Is it a book?" We're working on all of that. We made it in a coloring book I tell you that's pretty fancy at the Long Beach Public Library, and thank you. I am just overwhelmed with gratefulness. Your Professor is the best, coolest ever. So thank you all so much for having me.