By Felecia Gaston

Marin City was founded during World War II to provide housing for workers at the Marinship shipyard and their families. From 1942 to 1945 it was inhabited by a diverse population that included African Americans who emigrated from the South in search of employment and opportunity.

After the war, segregation and redlining relegated African Americans to the small community north of Sausalito.

To celebrate 80 years of Black history in Marin City, Jahi Torman and I have created Marin City 80, a year-long celebration of history, culture, and art to bring forward the largely untold story of African American perseverance in Marin County.

To date, Marin City 80 events include the release of an album of songs about Black shipyard workers created by the Marinovators, a group of young people from Marin City and around the Bay Area.

Music by the Marinovators is embedded in an art installation currently on display at the Marin Gateway Center. The installation honors shipyard workers and community leaders Annie Small, Rodessa Battle, Rev. Leon Samuels, and Joseph James.

So, mark your calendars for the biggest Marin City 80 events, exhibits, performances, and celebrations that will begin in August 2022:

• The Legacy of Marin City, 1942-1962 at the Bartolini Gallery at Marin Center from August 20 to October 20. This exhibit will feature memorabilia from Black shipyard workers, along with contemporary art, artifacts in various mediums, a virtual reality experience, and historical perspectives on housing, overcoming discrimination with self-determination, and the resilience of the Black people of Marin City from 1942 to 1962.
• The Joseph James Experience at the Showcase Theatre at Marin Center beginning August 20. This multimedia show will include actors and singers celebrating the life of Joseph James, a shipyard worker and world-class singer whose stand against a segregated union led to a landmark ruling by the California Supreme Court.
• The Legacy of Marin City: The Housing History, 1942-1962 at the Marin Civic Center beginning August 20. This multimedia display on the first- and third-floor lobbies of the Board of Supervisors will tell a narrative of housing discrimination, land grabs, predatory developers, and the continual fight for housing rights and equality in Marin City.
• Labor Day Weekend Celebration. Everyone is invited to Marin City for a music festival, car show, and homecoming/revival celebration. The weekend will also feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the launch of the Marin City Historical Preservation Society.
• Additional Marin City 80 community events include an Earth Day celebration in April, a Mother’s Day celebration in May, and a community 4th of July celebration.

For more information and to learn about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Felecia Gaston at (415) 332-8316 or felecia@marincity80.com.

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Felecia Gaston is the Executive Director of Performing Stars, a non-profit organization that she founded in 1990 with the belief that providing involvement in art, music, theater and other enrichment opportunities for low income and at-risk children would help them “reach for the stars” as they grew and matured rather than acting out in negative ways.

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