Neverland Ranch became the property of the private-equity firm Colony Capitol of Santa Monica in 2008, when Jackson was facing foreclosure. At that time, the ranch was part amusement park, part zoo and part library. The 2,600-acre property offered such diversions as a working locomotive, amusement rides, including a Ferris wheel, a zoo and a 10,000-volume library.

Alice Huffman, president of the California NAACP, who also serves on the state parks commission, supports the initiative for two reasons: one, that Neverland could join Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park as a state park honoring African Americans; two, that Neverland could become a popular tourist destination like nearby Hearst Castle, or perhaps along the lines of Elvis?EUR??,,????'?????<