A California city is considering removing a noose on a tree from its official logo

• A California city council debated whether to revise its logo, which depicts a man panning for gold with a noose in the background.
• The city council voted Tuesday to table the vote and hold it until next January.
• The noose in the logo stems back to 1849 when the city was first nicknamed "Hangtown" due to the number of people vigilantes executed by hanging.
• The site of the hangings is even a historical landmark, complete with a mannequin hanging from a post.
• The debate over the logo comes amid a nationwide reckoning over racism, and a number of localities have removed or reconsidered public examples of racist iconography, including flags and statues.

A California city is weighing whether to remove a depiction of a noose hanging from a tree from its official logo, but it won't make the decision until next year.

The city of Placerville, nicknamed "Old Hangtown," currently uses a logo featuring a man panning for gold, with a noose hanging from a tree in the background.

The Placerville City Council voted Tuesday to table a vote on redesigning its logo without the noose. Instead, the city council will vote on the issue next January, according to The Sacramento Bee.

City documents said that staff members have already revised a version of the logo that would be nearly identical, but with the noose removed.

"If Council is in agreement, staff will implement the process to replace the logo on all documents going forward," one document said. "This will include City stationery and other official documents, business cards, and other facilities and assets that currently have a depiction of the noose on them."

The debate over the logo surfaced amid a nationwide reckoning in recent months over racism, which has forced localities across the country to reexamine things like logos, flags, and statues, which in many cases paid homage to the Confederacy or to slaveholders or other racist figures.

According California's Office of Historic Preservation, the noose in the logo stemmed from 1849, when the city was first nicknamed "Hangtown" due to the number of people vigilantes executed by hanging. The site of the hangings is now a historical landmark, complete with a mannequin hanging from a post.

Revising the logo on business cards, vehicle decals, buildings, and street signs will likely cost the city $3,500 in total, the local NBC affiliate KCRA reported.

The death of Minnesota man George Floyd in police custody in late March sparked nationwide anti-racism protests, and cities across the country have responded to demonstrators by removing numerous statues, monuments, and other symbols of the Confederacy.

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