In a letter released Monday, June 8, the Ocean Beach Town Council announced it is taking a stand with Black Lives Matter. The letter, addressed to “The Ocean Beach Community and our friends around the world,” states:
“We recognize that many of our black friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues are abused by the institutions put in place to protect and serve all Americans.”
In a strong message for unity and against injustice, the letter said:
“The Board of Directors of the Ocean Beach Town Council knows that Black Lives Matter. We know that injustice toward some is injustice toward all.”
It stated, “We have a duty to stand with our black neighbors in San Diego and make it abundantly clear that all are welcome here.” It also said the Town Council is “heartened and inspired by the peaceful protests that have taken place in our neighborhood.” It continued:
“We are proud to see many business owners standing together with protesters and writing messages of unity on their storefronts.”
And the OBTC pledged: “we side with those fighting for justice and equality and we commit to back up our words of support with tangible action.”
Here is the entire letter:
To: The Ocean Beach Community and our friends around the world
Healthy, safe, and vibrant communities are a privilege for many Americans. They can go for a jog, get a restful night’s sleep, visit the beach, or patronize businesses without fear or unwarranted suspicion. For black communities, that story is often very different.
We recognize that many of our black friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues are abused by the institutions put in place to protect and serve all Americans.
The Board of Directors of the Ocean Beach Town Council knows that Black Lives Matter. We know that injustice toward some is injustice toward all. We have a duty to stand with our black neighbors in San Diego and make it abundantly clear that all are welcome here.
We have been heartened and inspired by the peaceful protests that have taken place in our neighborhood.
We are proud to see many business owners standing together with protesters and writing messages of unity on their storefronts.
The fight for equal justice is far from over. We know that the racism that is woven into the fabric of our country is pervasive, but it must be rooted out by working together as a community. We encourage our residents and visitors to speak up and to donate to causes that help empower and provide justice for black people.
You can start by … supporting one of the many local organizations that support the black community in San Diego like Buy Black SD, the Dede McClure Community Bail Fund or the Black Nurses Association of San Diego to name a few
We mourn the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Philando Castile, Eric Garner, and the many other black men, women, and children senselessly killed by institutionalized racism.
In closing, we want to be clear that we side with those fighting for justice and equality and we commit to back up our words of support with tangible action.
The Ocean Beach Town Council Board of Directors
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you OB Town Council. I love this vibrant community we have in OB but have often been dissapointed in the lack of diversity of both our residents and visitors. We know that systematic racism (redlining, “whites only” beaches and pools, etc.) have contributed to that lack of diversity at California beaches, but it would be great to see the town council and others come up with some action steps to enable and encourage more people of color to access our little part of the coast.
Our community is extremely diverse! Maybe if you looked at diversity as more than skin color you’d see that.
Thank you, triggerfinger, for making that point. Many of us live in OB because we get the opportunity to interact with people from different backgrounds with unique perspectives. Skin color is but one, relatively unimportant, characteristic that contributes to diversity.
Have you been asleep these last couple of weeks? If George Floyd had been white, he’s still be alive. So, yeah skin color is not “relatively unimportant” – yet. We need to get rid of white privilege first.
When a bad cop uses excessive force and kills a white career criminal, does it make headlines?
Frank:
What is “white privilege” and how do I get rid of it?
Is black folks calling fellow black folks the “N word” an example of black privilege?
Looking for some guidance.
Will
Will, you can start by educating yourself in how you’ve benefited from your white skin privilege (assuming you are white). And equating white privilege with something else right off the bat is not a good start.
It appears some of the comments here are drifting into the cringeworthy zone of “I don’t see color.” This feels very problematic when the discussion is literally about a group of citizens being treated differently because of their skin color. It seems dismissive to an entire group of Americans who are telling us unequivocally that it does indeed matter. Black is beautiful and we should celebrate color. We do not have a very diverse racial makeup in 92107. It’s pretty easy to
see by looking at census tract reports.
While the comments may have been well-intentioned (I can’t possibly know what’s in the head/heart of every anonymous blog commenter), I think a good start toward creating a more inclusive and just society would be to not diminish the feelings of bias and prejudice experienced by people of color by saying things like color is not important.