SAN DIEGO —
The museum formerly known as the San Diego Museum of Man announced Sunday it has begun the process of changing its name to the Museum of Us. Officials for the museum – which has been part of Balboa Park for over a century – said its new name is “more inclusive.”
The new name was formally adopted by the museum’s board of trustees in June over two years after the board began to consider a renaming. A change to a more inclusive name was first considered in 1991.
The San Diego Museum of Man name had been used for over 40 years.
“We are extremely excited to have a name that reflects our commitment to being a place that truth-tells and challenges, but does so from a place of love,” said museum CEO Micah Parzen.
According to the museum’s website, the previous name supported patriarchal systems and “represented a colonial past that perpetuated racist narratives and harmed Indigenous communities.”
“Changing our name corrects the exclusion of all who do not identify with the word man, and welcomes folks to a place that’s about ‘All of Us’ - which also happens to be our new tagline,” said Museum of Us trustee Nora Taylor Jaffe.
The name change process included community involvement, stakeholder meetings, surveys, and a temporary interactive name change exhibit in the museum’s rotunda, according to museum officials.
“Inclusivity will define the future,” assembly member and mayor candidate Todd Gloria wrote on Twitter. “I applaud Museum of Us for making this major change that says San Diego is a city where all are welcomed and everyone can belong.
The Museum of Us will use a transitional logo for approximately one year, officials said, as the requirements for a full name change are completed.
More information on the name change can be found here.
