Sonoma, we need to talk.
We need to talk about the Hanging Tree.
We need to talk about the unofficial sundown law reported to have been on the city books until at least the ’60s–’70s.
We need to talk about how the history of the rape, torture and murder of children, women and men at the Barracks and Mission has been erased.
We need to talk about the statue of the murderer General Vallejo.
We need to talk about the middle school named after the rapist, torturer and murderer Jose Altimira.
We need to talk about the indigenous massacre sites that are all over this Valley, which are unnamed, uncared for and whose souls yearn to be acknowledged.
We need to talk about the lynchings that happened on our roads that have never been discussed.
We need to talk about how the great Dr. Maya Angelou once lived here but had to leave because of racism.
We need to talk about enslaved Black veteran John Grider of the Bear Flag Revolt party.
We need to talk about the unnamed, enslaved Black Americans in the Bear Flag party and their erasure from the plaza and the statue of Joseph Revere.
We need to talk about the racist Bear Flag Revolt reenactment.
We need to talk about the Chinese immigrants who built everything but were not allowed in town.
We need to talk about how the Bracero program cemented the generational conditions of socio-economic poverty and destitution that continue to haunt farmworkers in this Valley.
We need to talk about the good old boys.
We need to talk about historical landowners, their connections to white supremacy and how elected officials have been afraid to speak up.
We need to talk about the fact that the widespread use of the N-word at nearly every school is unchecked and undealt with by Sonoma Valley unified school district.
Sonoma, we need to talk.
Conversations are happening all over the country. Statues are coming down. Names are being changed. Statements of condemnation, letters of apology, resolutions, policy changes, are happening nationwide. Anyone can get on a mic and express support. Anyone can post an article or a hashtag. Anyone can put up a sign or wear a T-shirt.
Show us the tangible change.
Show us the truth and reconciliation commission. Show us the steering committee.
Show us that you can walk the talk.
D’mitra Smith is the chair of the Sonoma County Commission on Human Rights, and a co-founder of Save Your VI, the Sonoma County Black Coalition and Food for All – Comida para Todos.
Editor’s Note: This piece was originally posted on Facebook at 12:46pm, June 14, 2020, where it went viral days before local media outlets picked up the story.
Hi we need to talk. I have transcripts from a Napa county courtroom where an attorney elected to represent me referred to me as a monkey in court.
CHANGING NAMES DOES NOT CHANGE HISTORY RACISM COMES FROM ALL RACES I’D BE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE DEADLY UNTESTED EXPERIMENTAL LABELED VACCINES THAT WERE FORCED ON WE THE PEOPLE. BIDEN SAID ON SEPTEMBER 9TH 2021 THAT THE PFIZER BIONTECH DRUG FOR COVID-19 WAS FDA APPROVED BUT IT WAS NOT AVAILABLE BEFORE 10 04 2023 AND MILLIONS OF PEOPLE OF COLOR WILL BE SICK AND MANY WILL DIE FROM THIS LIE. COMIRNATY IS THE TRUE FDA APPROVED VACCINE FOR COVID BUT WAS NOT AVAILABLE BEFORE 10 04 2023. FEDERAL LAW 93 348 THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS OF BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH WAS SIGNED BY RICHARD NIXON ON JULY 12TH 1974 INFORMED CONSENT IS LAW. READ THE TUSKEGEE’S SYPHILIS EXPERIMENT, IS THE REASON WHY NIXON SIGNED FEDERAL LAW 93 348 THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS OF BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH. READ FDA LAW 21.360bbb-3 YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO ACCEPT OR REFUSE AN EXPERIMENTAL DRUG AND OR PROCEDURE WITHOUT RECOURSE INCLUDING MEDICAL CARE. READ THE BELMONT REPORT. LAST VAERS REPORTING THROUGH APRIL 25 2025,, 1,663, 552 INJURY, 38,615 DEATHS, 220, 701 HOSPITALIZATIONS, 156, 638 URGENT CARE, 247, 657 DR OFFICE VISITS, 11, 257 ANNAPYLAXIS, ONE EIGHT, 011 BELLS PALSY, 5 185 MISCARRIAGES, 22, 531 HEART ATTACKS, 29, 150 MYOCARDITIS/ PERICARDITIS, 73, 461 PERMANENTLY DISABLED UNDER-REPORTED BY A FACTOR OF 30 I’D BE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT THAN THE NAMES. I WANT THE NAMES LISTED OF ALL THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE PASSING AWAY FROM THESE VACCINES INCLUDING MY FRIENDS WHO HAVE BEEN VACCINE INJURED TO KEEP THEIR JOBS THAT’S THE REAL STORY PS THE CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO FORGED DOCUMENTATION AND OUT OF 943 RELIGIOUS EXEMPTIONS ONLY EIGHT WERE APPROVED LESS THAN 1%, BUT NOT ONE ACCOMMODATION WAS GIVEN NOT EVEN TO 311 CALLER WHO WAS A MUSLIM PUBLIC RECORD $135 OF US ONE THROUGH THE 9TH CIRCUIT THE CITY IS GOING TO PAY OUT OVER 100 MILLION OF RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION
Just a reminder, the people that worked with the city and county of San Francisco they were all Democrats pretty much and apparently inclusion is what we’ve heard for years except for the religious people. Alitmira Middle school changed their names to Sonoma valley Middle School. Well wait a minute. I thought Sonoma was racist but then again that was all the Spanish and the Mexicans. The last I heard back in the day Mexico was slaughtering a bunch of Indians in southern Texas before the white man came and pushed them out, then declared a constitution a bill of rights for the people. It’s a lot better than what they had under the Mexican Constitution. I think there’s a drug dealer statue back east somewhere by the name of Floyd. Do we remove that now?