The San Francisco Recreation and Park Commission on Sept. 19 voted unanimously to rename a park whose previous namesake was a local congressman who was instrumental in extending a racist law more than a century ago.
Julius Kahn Playground, located at West Pacific Avenue and Spruce Street in the Presidio Heights neighborhood, will now be named Presidio Wall Playground.
Kahn is associated with extending the Chinese Exclusion Act, which became permanent in 1902 until Congress repealed it in 1943.
San Francisco Recreation and Parks officials said the organizations Chinese for Affirmative Action and the Chinese Historical Society were behind the effort to rename the park, which includes a playground and tennis courts.
During a public outreach process, Presidio Wall Playground was the top vote-getter, beating other options such as West Pacific Playground.
The city’s Board of Supervisors already voted last year to rename the park.
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