San Diego County officials are facing growing criticism after plans for a Fourth of July celebration commemorating America’s 250th anniversary shifted from a traditional Independence Day tribute to a program focused heavily on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
The controversy stems from changes made by the Democratic-controlled San Diego County Board of Supervisors after an event originally proposed to celebrate the Declaration of Independence was expanded to emphasize community engagement with historically underserved groups.
Critics argue the revised program places America’s founding in the background during a milestone national anniversary.
“This one is about celebrating and honoring America,” El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells told Fox News Digital. “What the county of San Diego has created ignores this in favor of grievance and a sense that our country is not great or worthy of pride. That’s just offensive, especially in light of the fact that they’re using taxpayer money to do so.”
Wells also mocked the event’s itinerary on X, writing, “I have an alternative plan: 1. Acknowledge America and its greatness. 2. Celebrate with fireworks and the American National Anthem.”
According to internal planning documents obtained by Fox News Digital, the event will begin with a tribal blessing, followed by a land acknowledgment, a tribal invocation, performances of both the black national anthem and the United States national anthem, and nearly two hours of presentations highlighting local tribal, Latino, Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, LGBT, and black communities.
The celebration will also include cultural performances, food trucks, community booths, and fireworks to conclude the evening.
The event’s current format differs significantly from the original proposal introduced earlier this year by Republican Supervisor Jim Desmond, who called for a countywide celebration commemorating “the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence” while highlighting San Diego’s longstanding connection to America’s military and civic institutions.
After the proposal reached the Board of Supervisors, the board’s Democratic majority amended the resolution, directing county officials to work alongside the Office of Equity and Racial Justice and the county’s Tribal Liaison. The revised plan instructed organizers to incorporate outreach to tribal nations, immigrant communities, LGBT organizations, and other groups described as “historically underserved.”
Wells argued those amendments fundamentally changed the event’s purpose.
“Supervisors Desmond and Anderson brought forward a 250th celebration for the whole region,” he wrote on social media. “The three Democrats rewrote it, tied it to the county’s equity, inclusion, and racial justice goals, and handed planning to the Office of Equity and Racial Justice.”
The celebration has also generated controversy over sponsorship requirements.
According to internal county emails reviewed by Fox News Digital, at least one prospective sponsor withdrew after being asked to complete paperwork affirming support for the county’s diversity and inclusion principles, including policies relating to immigration, as a condition of participating in the event.
The sponsor’s planned $2,500 contribution was never finalized after declining to complete the required form, the emails indicate.
County staff also acknowledged in internal communications that organizers remained thousands of dollars short of what was needed to fully fund staging, lighting, and sound equipment for the event.
The celebration’s programming has also drawn criticism from national conservative figures.
Club for Growth President David McIntosh quipped that the official schedule “reads like the opening ceremony of the Democratic Socialists of America convention.”
Anti-DEI activist Robby Starbuck similarly argued it prioritized identity-based programming during what should be a straightforward celebration of American independence.
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