Possible name change for Confederate Corners in Salinas inches closer

In exactly two weeks the Monterey County Board of Supervisors will consider whether or not a spot in Salinas should be renamed. Confederate Corners is just off highway 68.

This most recent push to change the name came after the violent events at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia earlier this year. Salinas native AJ Alvero got the ball moving by submitting a federal petition with the USGS to change the name. But in order for the process to go any further it needs local support, meaning the Monterey County Board of Supervisors needs to back the change.

“My ideal United States does not have any acknowledgement or public displays of people who explicitly fought for white supremacy, for the enslavement of people and for oppression,” said Alvero.

Confederate Corners is surrounded by farm fields, and Alvero suggested “campesino corners.” Campesino means farm worker in Spanish. He says there are no monuments or public displays to acknowledge the hard work of farm workers in the county.

The supervisors are expected to make a recommendation on December 5th. However, the final decision will come down to the USGS.