By Nancy Binzen
After languishing in committee for 33 years, H.R. 40, the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act, was finally advanced to the house floor in April. The significance of this can’t be overstated. As U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee observed, “Slavery is America’s original sin, and this country has yet to atone for the atrocities visited upon generations of enslaved Africans and their descendants.”
In Marin County, a parallel situation is playing out in Golden Gate Village, the only majority-Black public housing in the county. Frank Lloyd Wright protégé Aaron Green designed it after World War II to house predominately Black shipyard workers who were prevented from buying homes in Marin by redlining. In 2017, Golden Gate Village was added to the National Historic Register.
A green preservation-based plan for renovation of all 300 units was developed by the Golden Gate Village Resident Council in 2013; however, the Marin Housing Authority and the Marin County Board of Supervisors, which together oversee all public housing in the county, have refused even to discuss this plan — while residents continue to deal with rat infestation, black mold, and other habitability issues brought on by years of deliberate neglect by the Housing Authority. Instead, the Authority’s Executive Director, Lewis Jordan, and an acquiescent board have pushed an outside, for-profit developer and a plan to demolish 16 existing low-rise apartments, build two new, high-rise buildings, segregate seniors in a separate, single building, and increase population density by almost 50 percent. All while postponing urgent rehab for existing units for five to ten years. Or more.
Put bluntly, the Housing Authority wants to destroy the fabric of a vital community, some of whose members go back for generations. And the adherence of Marin County’s power structure to this plan — despite the fact that almost two-thirds of Golden Gate Village residents supported the Resident Plan in a petition presented to the County in April — exemplifies the continuing gulf between the thinking of many white Americans and true reparations.
Just as Rep. Jackson Lee’s former colleague, Representative John Conyers, continued to introduce H.R. 40 year after year, Resident Council President, Royce McLemore, has continued to advocate for the Resident Plan at Marin Housing Commission meetings month after month for the past seven years. Now, as more voices join hers, it may finally be possible to make a difference.
As Rep. Jackson Lee noted, “Reparations are ultimately about respect and reconciliation.” The question for Lewis Jordan and the Marin Housing Commission is whether they are willing to accept responsibility for past injustices, respect the wishes of their Black/African-American constituents, and engage in the deep work required for real reconciliation to begin.
Here are six steps you can take.
- Learn more about Golden Gate Village, its history, and the current situation at ggvrc.org.
- Join a guided tour of Golden Gate Village led by Royce on the first Wednesday of every month. While tours are free, participation is limited and tours fill up quickly.
- Stay informed by subscribing to the Golden Gate Village email list.
- Email or phone Marin County Supervisors and tell them you support the Golden Gate Village Resident Plan, including deep green renovation, no new building, and a path to home ownership at Golden Gate Village for residents.
- Attend and speak at the Marin Housing Commission meetings on Zoom (generally the third Tuesday of the month nominally starting at 1:30 p.m. but frequently, later).
- Donate to the Golden Gate Village Development Fund.
Become a part of the groundswell of individuals, faith-based groups, and organizations demanding a better, fairer future for this vibrant, underserved and richly deserving community.
Nancy Binzen is a member of the Golden Gate Village Strategy Team.
Photo courtesy of Golden Gate Village Resident Council.