Huntington Beach commission approves ‘MAGA’ plaque for Central Library 50th anniversary

The 50th anniversary of the Huntington Beach Central Library has suddenly turned into a political battleground.

On Tuesday night, the Huntington Beach Community and Library Services Commission approved by a 6-0 vote the design of a plaque celebrating the anniversary with “Magical, Alluring, Galvanizing, Adventurous” in the middle.

Together, the words equal the “MAGA” acronym used by President Donald Trump and Republican supporters as “Make America Great Again.” The four letters are displayed vertically in bold font on the plaque.

Huntington Beach resident Julie Bixby speaks against the library plaque during Tuesday night’s meeting.

(Matt Szabo)

In front of an overflow crowd of about 100 people, the commissioners had fairly little to say on the item itself, after hearing public comments from 40 speakers against the plaque and six in favor of it. Many of those against it booed the commission after the vote was cast.

More than 300 residents also sent emails to the commission critiquing the plaque, questioning the use of a well-known political slogan on a commemorative decoration as well as the use of “alluring” in describing a public library.

Resident Barbara Richardson said Tuesday during public comments that she thought she was being punked when she first saw the plaque’s design, calling it divisive and embarrassing.

“It turned out, the joke was on me, because this plaque really is the real design,” she said. “From far away, it looks like the plaque is celebrating 50 years of MAGA, as the word is dead center in the middle of the plaque. This is where one’s eye is drawn, to a political slogan. Are political slogans even allowed to be installed on city buildings? Why shouldn’t the city be neutral?”

Huntington Beach Community & Library Services Commission Chair Austin Edsell, right, speaks during Tuesday night’s meeting as Commissioner Jeanne Paris looks on.

(Matt Szabo)

Chris Kluwe, also a resident of the city, spoke with more fire as he referred to the design as hideous.

“If you go forward with this plaque, you are putting MAGA front and center [in] our city,” Kluwe said. “It is really important that you understand that MAGA as an ideology is destroying our country, OK? MAGA is the idea that trans people shouldn’t exist. MAGA is the idea that you can let a billionaire come in and run our government and take our Social Security numbers to do who knows what, because there is no oversight.”

Huntington Beach Deputy City Manager Jennifer Carey said that City Council member Gracey Van Der Mark, who swore in three new commission members at Tuesday’s meeting, proposed the idea of celebrating the 50th anniversary with a dedicated plaque.

“The plaque’s design was a collaborative effort, incorporating input from various City Council members and the community,” Carey said in an email Wednesday.

Huntington Beach resident Chris Kluwe speaks at Tuesday night’s Community and Library Services Commission meeting.

(Matt Szabo)

Only Community and Library Services Committee chairman Austin Edsell and commissioner Jeanne Paris had comments about the design among the six commissioners, each of whom was appointed by a member of the all-conservative Huntington Beach City Council.

The bronze plaque would be installed outside the library and has up to $7,000 budgeted for it, according to a staff report prepared by Ashley Theel, director of community and library services. Edsell said during the meeting that it was expected to be paid for via private donations.

“It’s a great library,” said Edsell, a past president of the Orange County Young Republicans, adding that he grew up visiting it. “Honoring it and celebrating it in this way, I think it’s very fitting for us.”

Paris said she recommended cleaning up the plaque a tad, though she was fine with the “MAGA” in the center of it. She added that the council could also make changes to it.

“It’s a little busy, that’s all,” she said. “I like the idea of MAGA. Making America great is not a racist comment.”

Commissioners Tricia Thienes, Steve Barnes, Jeanne Paris and Austin Edsell, left to right, listen to public comments during Tuesday night’s meeting.

(Matt Szabo)

But former council member Natalie Moser called the plaque political propaganda disguised as a celebration.

“Libraries are spaces for knowledge, community and inclusion,” she said. “They are not tools for political messaging ... History warns us about what happens when public spaces are manipulated for political purposes. In many historical moments during authoritarian regimes in times of intense social control, symbols were placed not to celebrate shared values, but to assert control and rewrite history. These tactics are well-documented and studied in history books for their dangerous impact on free societies.”

Moser called the plaque a distraction and urged residents to pay attention, adding that the council has made efforts to politicize the library, censor books and challenge citizen-driven petitions.

“These aren’t just attacks on the library, they are attacks on our freedoms, on civic engagement and democracy,” she said.

The plaque is expected to go to the City Council for final approval next week.

Rose Molina speaks at Tuesday night’s Community and Library Services Commission meeting.

(Matt Szabo)