Dear Council Members, Assemblywoman Shirley Weber has introduced AB3121 which seeks to educate Californians about the history of slavery and discrimination in California in order to facilitate the cultural and heart changes that are needed if we are to seize the opportunity that the current public health crisis has given us to refocus our democracy to where the light and resources are focused on citizens. I am writing to Assemblywoman Weber as a private citizen; I ask each of you to consider doing so also and to reach out to Senator Jerry Hill and Assemblyman Marc Berman and ask them to support the bill. As a Quaker I carry hope that the bill opens a doorway to address the underlying cultural issues that support continuing discrimination against people of color and to help real change to be possible. Changing laws cannot change hearts. We need to do both. The bill is a positive, concrete proposal to begin to move that side of these issues to the forefront. May I also recommend a book to start furthering the education of you as individuals that will lead to deeper and more fruitful discussions about issues facing Menlo Park from east to west? My Grandmother's Hands by Resmaa Menakem offers a way to learn and to physically experience the way racism is embodied within our bodies. And until each of us feels that, talk will be talk and true change will not happen. Thank you for listening, Virginia Talley Kenyon Received on Wed Jun 03 2020 - 14:32:27 PDT
