Activists with the Mill Valley Force for Racial Equity and Empowerment (MVFREE) held “A Vigil in Solidarity with Our Asian American & Pacific Islander Community” on the afternoon of Sunday, March 28.

The participants at the vigil, which was held at the Depot Plaza in downtown Mill Valley, responded to the recent violence against Asian Americans, and for the eight victims that were killed in Atlanta, Ga., last month.  

Several hundred people came to the vigil, which was hosted by the Mill Valley Force for Racial Equity and Empowerment (MVFREE), which was formerly known as the Mill Valley Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force.

Participants brought fresh flowers and arranged them on the sidewalk to construct a community art altar. 

“We need our community to stand strong like this every day. It takes action to create the change we need here in Mill Valley and in Marin County,” said Tammy Herndon, a member of the Mill Valley Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force. “We all have to work, and it will take all of us to create the change that all of us here wants today.”

Oshalla Diane Marcus, who grew up in Marin City, said “Our history in this country is what it is. We came to America as a wave. Yet the myth of equality had often lulled our collective mind into amnesia. And we were quick to move to the next place without really looking at what is going on around us.” 

Marcus says that Blacks and Asians, especially the second-and third-generation Chinese-Americans, should look and recognize the connections that exist between their communities, and teach each other and their children about these connections and shared experiences. Both communities should also deepen their connections with each other and learn more about the strengths and difficulties that exist in each other’s communities. 

 “There is a lot of healing that we need to look at. There are many sides to the situation. If we are in a circle, there are no sides, there are only points of view. The issues are real and may be uncomfortable,” says  Marcus, “but at the same time, we can come together in dance, poetry, art, and music. People can lead the way with their creativity.”

A senior at Tamalpais High School, who is an immigrant, said what meant most to him were people who took an interest in his heritage. “We all learn and listen to each other. We are all here to heal each other,” he said, “We must bring an end to this hatred.”

Another woman expressed her sense of hurt on behalf of children.  “I hurt for what it must be like to watch all this racial hatred in the world. The thing about violence is that no one is immune. When one of us is unsafe, all of us are unsafe. We are all related in our fight against hate and racism.”

Mia Lane

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