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Long Beach council advances renaming of MLK Central Facilities Center to honor Dale Clinton
Summary
Councilmember Saro asked the Parks & Recreation Commission to study renaming the Central Facilities Center at Martin Luther King Jr. Park to the Dale Clinton Facility Center; family members, former elected officials and the NAACP Long Beach branch spoke in favor and council moved the recommendation forward.
Councilmember Saro introduced a recommendation asking the Parks and Recreation Commission to study and return a naming recommendation to the Government Operations and Efficiency Committee and City Council for renaming the Central Facilities Center at Martin Luther King Jr. Park to the Dale Clinton Facility Center.
"Dale Clinton's life represents resilience and advocacy," Councilmember Saro said, outlining Clinton's decades of city service on anti‑poverty efforts, Head Start, housing and youth development. Saro asked that signage include a photo and a brief biography connecting Clinton's legacy to the facility.
Family members and longtime community leaders spoke in support. Charles Clinton, the honoree's son, described his mother's activism and public service dating to the 1960s and urged the council to formalize the name as a multigenerational legacy. A member of Congress in attendance — introduced and welcomed by the mayor as the "Congressman" on the dais — praised Clinton's contributions.
Dr. Sharifa Batts, president of the NAACP Long Beach branch, said the renaming would reflect the branch's mission and honor Clinton's work on youth enrichment and civil rights. "Renaming the Central Facilities Center ... in her honor is deeply appropriate," Dr. Batts said.
The council voted to move the item forward under the city's administrative policy for facility naming; the Parks and Recreation Commission will study the request and provide a recommendation per the standard naming process. Councilmembers who spoke in favor noted the broad community support and petition signatures presented at the meeting.
