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Cultural diversity in art down by the firehouse
Topics: Bakersfield, fireman, firewomen, Bakotopia, Belardes, blog, ABC 23, Culture, diversity, ethnic
Posted by thenovelist Mon Sep 17, 2007 12:02:10 PDT
Viewed 547 times
0 responses 4 comments Location: 2033 H St., Bakersfield, CA 93301

Of course there's ethnic diversity among the firemen of Kern County. But does the giant mural of firemen in downtown Bakersfield represent such multiculturalism?

Pride, safety, heroes. That's what I first thought and that's what I still think when I see the giant mural across from Bakersfield's downtown fire station on 21st and F streets. I've passed by the mural countless times and peered up at a photo collage designed to spark pride in the community's 130-year history of firemen.

But then I was in a discussion with someone at Bakotopia.com about a concern with the mural. It wasn't a concern about firemen themselves. We all know they're heroes. They save lives. I'm sure they take a lot of heat. Pun not intended.

What was brought to my attention was the lack of ethnic diversity in the photo.

I suddenly realized that being dual ethnic myself that I was blinded by the grandeur and pride instilled in the mural. It's not a bad piece of artwork.

But we're talking about a giant billboard that our community views everyday.

For some reason I instantly thought of Tony's Pizza on California Avenue. Now, Tony's Pizza is a shrine to local firemen. Walk into the restaurant and you get a sense that firemen in Kern County are a multicultural, diverse society of people. You'll see actual firemen inside the restaurant chowing down on pizza. You'll see photos, paintings, and you'll feel a sense of pride. You won't feel brown, black or white. You'll just feel cozy and no longer hungry after a great meal.

But what are we cozy with outside of our comfortable ethnic-owned restaurants, homes, churches, etc.?

What is the city of Bakersfield trying to communicate with this giant image of firemen? Is this just some humongous typo of artistic-ethnic proportions?

Now when I pass by the mural my feelings have changed a little. Not toward firemen, but toward the city. I feel like our culture here in Bakersfield is not always moving forward in the name of ethnic diversity.

Are you even aware of the statistics of how many people are ethnic minorities in Bakersfield? We're like fall leaves: a wide range of beautiful colors all making up a community rooted in the same earth.

Now I'm not going to get caught up in city versus county here. I mean, maybe there are more minority firemen in Kern County's rural cities. But I'm just talking about firemen and diversity.

Personally I think the city and county have to be careful when showing off promotional imagery of firemen that suggest a connection to a greater community at large. I know a black kid who just graduated from high school who wants to be a fireman. Is he to think that in 130 years there have been no black firemen in Bakersfield? I have no idea his opinion of the billboard. And I have no opinion of Mr. Martinez' of Tony's Pizza's opinion of the mural. Heck, maybe there needs to be another mural representing ethnic diversity among city and county firemen.

What I do know, is that that as a community, the city's promotional engine needs to represent the diversity of the community it reflects.

From the ABC23 Nick 2.0 Blog, Sept. 13, 2007

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Comment From: matt

I guess women, Latinos, Blacks, and Asians aren't photogenic enough to be shown as firefighters.... :(

CHECK OUT THIS COOL ARTICLE ABOUT SOME OF OUR LOCAL GUYS:
Fighting fires in La Colonia
Comment From: thenovelist

See, now I can understand that photo because it's for a Latino magazine.

That mural represents all of Bakersfield. What will our ethnically diverse youth think when seeing that mural? That the fire department is not ethnically diverse? It's confusing when you think about it. I'm grateful my blinders came down. My Mexican-American dad used to always tell me I was white. The confusion still sticks with me and causes me to be blind now and then.

I am grateful for considering myself Latino these days though I am proud of my white heritage as well. I wish I knew more about it.

Comment From: matt

Oh, I agree. The thing is when you are paying tribute to such an important occupation, it should include everyone. I mean, I'm not the most brownest skinned Mexican in the world, and maybe some of those firemen in the picture are, but what about Blacks and women? Let's be real folks. This city has come a lonnnng way, let's reflect our diversity. Our firehouses are melting pots, and it's a beautiful thang!! Comment From: matt

**I received an e-mail from a member of the Bakersfield Fire Dept. regarding this blog post. He has give me permission to post his response:

"Thanks for the head's up, Matthew...

I've been with the department 27 years now.

The Bakersfield Fire Department is celebrating it's 130th anniversary this year and we're trying to get the word out for an open house in October.

Tax dollars were not spent on the poster and this is the first negative comments I've seen / heard.

Capt. Reyna is one of our Hispanic Captains (in color, on the left). Actually, in the 1913 picture, one of those firefighters is Hispanic as well.

We've had diversity longer than most departments, we just don't exploit it as an advertising tool. We recently did an article in the Californian recognizing the contributions of our black firefighters, past and present.

This was during Black History Month. I think it may say more about the person looking at the billboard than the picture itself.

The purpose is to show that the fire department has been here, protecting the community, for 130 years. That's all. This is not a recruitment poster. It wasn't intended as a "politically correct" picture.

These were the guys on the truck the day the picture was taken.

I would suggest minorities interested in joining the fire service talk to those in our department before jumping to conclusions based on one picture.

Well that's my two cents. There was no malice in this.

Kirk Blair, BFD