Wave Staff Report
SAN FERNANDO — The head of the San Fernando Valley chapter of the NAACP is advising Black residents in Southern California to avoid traveling to the Orange County city of Westminster after that city installed Charlie Kirk Way signs near the civic center.
James Thomas, president of the San Fernando Valley NAACP who also serves as pastor of the Living Word Community Church of Chatsworth, said the city’s decision sends a troubling message to Black residents and others who expect public institutions to reflect values of inclusion, dignity, and civil rights.
“This is not simply about a street sign,” Thomas said. “It is about what and who a city chooses to publicly honor. For many Black residents, this action signals disregard and hostility for the well-being of Blacks. The sign and significance of it ignore the historical and ongoing realities of anti-Black rhetoric and attacks on civil rights protections.”
Kirk was the co-founder of Turning Point USA, a conservative student organization, who was shot and killed last September during a speaking engagement at a university in Orem, Utah. He was known as a right-wing political activist, entrepreneur and media peronsality.
According to Thomas, Kirk has made many public statements opposing civil rights frameworks, including: calling the Civil Rights Act of 1964 a “mistake,” denying the existence of systemic racism opposing Juneteenth recognition and making derogatory remarks regarding George Floyd and Black women
His organization, Turning Point USA, is known for its professor watchlist which targets educators who teach about systemic racism and social justice, a school board watchlist which focuses on race and equity-related curriculum and its organized opposition to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
The city of Westminster voted last November to rename part of All American Way near the city’s civic center Charlie Kirk Way. The city also proclaimed Kirk’s birthday, Oct. 14, as Charlie Kirk Day. The enbw street signs started being installed last month.
Mayor Chi Charlie Nguyen said the renaming was his idea.
“By doing this, we promote the freedom, the freedom of speech, freedom for everyone to engage in open communication here in the city of Westminster,” Nguyen said. “I myself am very inspired by what Charlie Kirk has been doing for the country, what he’s been doing to the younger people, for the next generation.”
An engineer by profession and an Orange County native, Nguyen was elected to the City Council in 2018 and elected mayor four years later.
Nguyen says the sign honoring Kirk isn’t political, and instead is meant to represent freedom of speech.
But Pastor Thomas, disagreed, saying that honoring a public figure associated with the positions Kirk took in a civic setting raise legitimate concerns about the safety of Black residents in Westminster and about whether their experiences, history, and safety are being fully respected.
“We believe public spaces should unite communities, not deepen division,” Thomas said. “Black residents should be aware of the message this action communicates and make informed decisions about traveling there accordingly.”
The organization is calling on the city of Westminster to reconsider the designation and engage in meaningful dialogue with Black residents, civil rights organizations, and impacted communities.
Located in western Orange County north of Huntington Beach, Westminster has a population of about 90,000. According to population demographics on the city’s website, 47.3% of its residents identify as Asian and only .8% identify as Black.
