Redwood City takes step toward racial equity movement

“This commission was established to support and enhance the cultural life of Redwood City and really celebrate the diversity of our community so I wanted to make sure that everyone is aware of why we’re here and I can speak on behalf of our commissioners that we are here to voice the opinions and express our community’s voice,” said Ashley Quintana, chair of the Arts Commission who also noted the discussion was the first of many to come on addressing the monument. 

Both the listening sessions and the Arts Commission meetings, held remotely Thursday night, were met with varying comments of concern from residents, though some participants of the Arts Commission meeting expressed greater dissent for the Black Lives Matter organization than has been shared during dialogue sessions. 

Some during the commission meeting implored the city to reconsider the monument, calling it divisive during an election year. Others called for the artwork to speak to local experiences of racism and discrimination, suggesting the Historic Resources Advisory Committee weigh in on the matter while also calling into question whether the city has ever had a history of racism. 

Participants in support of the monument encouraged those against its creation to be open minded to the potentially uplifting spirit of the piece and its representation of diversity. City Attorney Veronica Ramirez also spoke to clear up “misstatements” and reiterated the council’s decision to recommend the commission of a racial equity monument as a way to show a commitment to unity and inclusion. 

“The proclamation was really, if you read it, was saying that all lives matter only when all lives matter equally and when they asked for … the Arts Commission to consider a monument of some sort, really they were looking at showing their commitment to that diversity, celebrating the community and that means the contributions of all people in Redwood City,” said Ramirez. 

Equity was a major concern for participants of the dialogue sessions as well. Speakers expressed concern for racial inequalities in the education system and called for the city to address placing school resource officers contracted through the Sheriff’s Office on school campuses. While some speakers have called for their removal completely, like has been done in the San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District, others suggested officers be given additional bias training. 

Some speakers also called attention to a feeling of segregation between communities in both housing and education which has made accessing affordable homes and quality schools difficult for low-income earning families. 

“We had a long discussion around educational inequities and whether Redwood City equally serves children of color and seems like it’s not,” said one group leader. 

Though equity in education and housing was the focus of discussions, speakers continued to share desires for reallocating parts of the city’s police budget to other agencies considered better equipped to deal with mental health, domestic violence and addiction. 

Concerns around the structure of the listening sessions have also been raised. The two-hour sessions are structured to allow for smaller groups to have candid conversations around personal experiences of racism and inequality in the city. City staff intent on listening instead of speaking, including City Manager Melissa Stevenson Diaz and Mayor Diane Howard, were called voyeuristic by some for not participating in conversations. 

During an Aug. 24 City Council meeting, speakers also noted discomfort with how confidential the sessions were and requested the city make public a list of participants and video recordings of each session. 

Despite concerns for the structure of the events, participants suggested the city continue to engage the community in conversation around racial equity and called for officials to make meetings more accessible for those who do not have access to technology. 

The final session of the Redwood City is Listening series will conclude Wednesday, Sept. 2, and will begin at 6 p.m. All age groups and backgrounds are welcome to attend the virtual meeting and Spanish translation will be available. Once completed, PCRC will compile comments made by participants to later present a full review to the council in late September or early October before a budget discussion is held. 

sierra@smdailyjournal.com 

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