Sherman R. Frederick
Mill Valley Herald
A way forward to overcome the pervasive racism in Mill Valley may be in shared cultural and recreational engagement, the Mill Valley DEI Task Force concludes in its 93-plus page report to the City Council.
That optimism, however, comes with the acknowledgment that “Mill Valley’s segregationist history and resulting homogeneity make it impossible to provide rich multicultural experiences and education in the City without outreach to surrounding communities. Historically, that outreach has been largely absent.“
The task force consisted of Naima Dean, Elspeth Mathau, Megan Acio, Amber Allen-Peirson, Sacha Bunge, Johanna Calabria, Nancy Carlston, Dart Cherk, Tammy Edmonson, Eileen Fisher, Zoe Fry, Halicue Gambrell Hanna, Running Grass, Gilda Harger, Hilary Heaven, Tammy Herndon, Jasson Minadakis, Celimene Pastor, Kerry Peirson, Denmo Ibrahim and Frank Leidman.
In their report, the Task Force said that outreach efforts to magnify BIPOC voices are underway at Mill Valley Library and that the city’s Parks and Recreation Department is working with the Marin City Community Center to supply transportation between the Mill Valley Community Center and the Marin City Community Center so that all the children in Southern Marin can play together.
“We applaud these successes,” the report says, but warns that Mill Valley has “much more to do.”
Also, the task force outlined bleak prospects for Mill Valley and Marin County when it comes to correcting the economic bias that weighs on Blacks.
“Mill Valley will never be a diverse and welcoming community until we bridge the racial barriers to economic opportunity,” the Task Force report says.
“Mill Valley’s predominantly White business community appears to reflect the County’s deep racial disparities in economic opportunity. According to Race Counts, whites in Marin sub- stantially outscore Blacks on all economic indicators. For example: 61% of white people in Marin are employed, compared with 48% of Black people; 94% of whites have internet access compared with 87% of Blacks; 28% of Blacks live in poverty, compared with 8% of whites; and, when it comes to business ownership, 31.4 out of every 1,000 white Marin residents owns a business, while the numbers for Black business ownership are insufficient to be included in the tally.”
Ending racism: Cultural engagement is a start
(Editor’s Note: This is the third installment recapping Mill Valley’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force report to the City Council on racism in Mill Valley. You can find the previous installments on the Mill Valley Herald website — MarinLocalNews.com.)
Shared cultural and recreational engagement that reflects and serves the full diversity within our community can bridge racial divides and model our City’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
The Arts & Culture Section of the Mill Valley General Plan acknowledges the crucial role of cultural diversity in building community and sustaining a vibrant creative environment; the Section includes numerous goals for fulfillment of those objectives. The City should prioritize these goals and implement specific cultural programs (including those identified in this report) to ensure that they are achieved.
HISTORY OF SEGREGATION
Mill Valley’s segregationist history and resulting homogeneity make it impossible to provide rich multicultural experiences and education in the City without outreach to surrounding communities.
Historically, that outreach has been largely absent.
The longstanding exclusion and hostility experienced in Mill Valley by Black people and other people of color from neighboring communities fuels a natural reticence to participate in Mill Valley community life even when those opportunities do present themselves. Our whole community suffers from the resulting lack of cultural and social vibrancy.
Providing welcoming, equitable and inclusive cultural and recreational opportunities in Mill Valley can help begin to bridge racial divides and demonstrate our City’s sincere commit- ment to overcoming our racist past.
Mill Valley’s path to becoming an inviting and accessible place for Black people and other people of color can and should begin with our Marin City neighbors. Providing free access to Park & Recreation facilities and classes for residents of the Marin City Community Services District is a meaningful step toward repairing past discrimination and exclusion. The benefit should also apply to any recreational activities, public or private, that utilize City facilities.
Local Indigenous groups deserve meaningful opportunities to design and advance cultural spaces and programs that reflect and honor their history. The City should designate an official liaison to the Graton Rancheria, and work with that community to develop and support such programs and should develop an Indigenous Land Acknowledgement for use in its proceedings.
Mill Valley will never be a diverse and welcoming community until we bridge the racial barriers to economic opportunity.
We appreciate the efforts currently underway to make the City’s cultural and recreational opportunities more equitable and reflective of diversity.
Mill Valley Library is undertaking a serious, multi-year effort to magnify BIPOC voices including live events, book groups, podcasts, blogs, virtual events, comedy, book lists, lectures, documentary screenings, picture book packs, teen book packs, book discussions, adult book bundles, and partnerships with artists. In addition, the Library has a plan to document the history, as well as the present experiences, of local Black/ Indigenous/ People of Color.
Parks and Recreation is currently working with the Marin City Community Center to supply transportation between the Mill Valley Community Center and the Marin City Community Center so that all the children in Southern Marin can play together.
The City of Mill Valley’s website history section features a short but prominent history of the Huimen Community of the Coast Miwok.
We applaud these successes, and believe we have much more to do.
BIPOC BUSINESSES
Mill Valley spends well over $20 million annually on non-employee supplies, services and equipment. The City should adopt equitable contracting and procurement policies to alleviate the advantages of large, white-owned businesses and provide opportunities for minority owned businesses and workers to supply these needs.
Financial empowerment centers provide free, professional, one-on-one financial counseling to assist underserved residents to build wealth and financial security. Mill Valley should explore development of a pilot program in which local financial professionals volunteer to provide such services.
The City, through the DEI Commission, should explore available options to attract, promote and support BIPOC businesses in our community.
Mill Valley’s predominantly White business community appears to reflect the County’s deep racial disparities in economic opportunity. According to Race Counts, whites in Marin sub- stantially outscore Blacks on all economic indicators. For example: 61% of white people in Marin are employed, compared with 48% of Black people; 94% of whites have internet access compared with 87% of Blacks; 28% of Blacks live in poverty, compared with 8% of whites; and, when it comes to business ownership, 31.4 out of every 1,000 white Marin residents owns a business, while the numbers for Black business ownership are insufficient to be included in the tally.
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