Marin Shakespeare Company believes that theatres have a responsibility to tell narratives and engage learning around issues of importance.  On this page, we’ll share some of the things we’ve been learning about.

Indigenous History

Marin Shakespeare Company sits on the traditional land of the Coast Miwok.  You can learn more about the Coast Miwok here:
Coast Miwok Tribal Council of Marin
Marin Coast Miwoks    –    Monument Project
Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, Rohnert Park
Museum of the American Indian, Novato
The Indigenous History of Our Theatres  – our account of the land on which our theatres sit

To learn more about native lands, and find out what land you live on, visit Native Land

Racism in Marin

Marin is known for being a place that is progressive and open-minded.  However, racism has existed and continues today in our community.  When we recognize and learn about racism past and present, we can help eradicate it, creating a truly inclusive community where are all welcome, safe, and valued.

These websites and news articles help us understand.

Race Counts – Marin County ranks the 1st most racially disparate county in California
A wealth of statistics about race in Marin County.

Marin Promise Partnership – Educational Progress Report
A wealth of statistics about education in Marin County.

Why is Marin County So White? – KQED News
Marin County has been home to Coast Miwok, people of Spanish and Mexican descent, African-Americans during WWII who came to work in the shipyards. So what explains the demographics that exist today?

Racism is of Immediate Local Importance – Tam News
“1. In Marin, according to Race Counts, black people are seven times as likely to be incarcerated as Latinx people and 14 times as likely as white people.
2. Last November, officials sent a SWAT team to Marin City.
3. That Marin’s minority residents are concentrated in just a few communities is the result of decades of segregation and racist policies.
4. A proposal to renovate Golden Gate Village in Marin City into a “mixed-income” complex is the subject of ongoing controversyy.
5. Voters in Marin and Mill Valley have frequently shot down proposals for low-income housing developments.
6. In 2018, the California attorney general’s office notified the Sausalito Marin City School District that its schools were racially segregated.
7. In March, the Sausalito Marin City School District released a plan to desegregate its schools.
8. Segregation and the academic achievement gap persist into high school.”
This article includes suggestions for action, and a list of organizations fighting systemic racism in Marin.

Roots, Race, & Place – A History of Racially  Exclusionary Housing in the San Francisco Bay Area – Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society at UC Berkele
“The history of public housing in the Bay Area demonstrates how public and private sector interests, alongside white homeowners, have operated in concert to perpetuate racial exclusion.”

Poverty, ‘structural racism’ impact virus’ spread in Marin – Catholic San Francisco
“People who identify as Hispanic or Latino account for 16% of [Marin] county’s population but more than three-quarters of those testing positive for the virus that causes COVID-19.”

Marin County Confronts Institutionalized Racism by Focusing on Equity – Marin Independent Journal
in 2017, Marin became one of the first counties in the state to formalize a Racial Equity Action Plan

Allyship – What You Can Do To Make A Difference

Allyship

103 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice

Mass Incarceration

As an organizatoin that has worked in California State prisons since 2003, we have seen up close and personal the effects of mass incarceration and racial discrimination within our carceral system, and the ability of the arts to empower change. Here is more information and resources.

Essential Viewing:  The Thirteenth, by Ava Duvernay, available on Netflix
Essential Reading: The New Jim Crow, by Michelle Alexander
Great Reading: Slavery by Another Name, by Douglass A. Blackmon
Best Books about the Carceral System

Facts-About-Prison – Prison to Employment Connection
The Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
Brewster, L. (2014). California Prison Arts: A Quantitative Evaluation. Justice Policy Journal, 11(4).
Articles about Shakespeare for Social Justice on our Blog

MSC Language Guide – Our people-first language guide for communicating about the carceral system

Reparations for American Descendents of Slavery (ADOS)

We believe in the justice of reparations for American Descendents of Slavery (ADOS). We encourage rigorous debate about this issue.

The Case for Reparations – Ta-Nehisi Coates, The Atlantic
What is OwedNew York Times Magazine

Anti-Racist Resource Lists

There are many Anti-Racist resource lists available online.  Here are some we like a lot.

Scaffolded Anti-Racist Resources
Good Good Good Resources
Californians for the Arts

What else do you want to learn about?  What information do you have to share?  Contact us at management@marinshakespeare.org with your thoughts and suggestions.