Thank you so much for signing! This park, and honoring the legacy of Fannie and William, is just the start. We have sent a letter to Pacific Beach Town Council, Pacific Beach Planning Group, DiscoverPB and Beautiful PB asking for 10 actions to address the racism, discrimination and prejudice in our beach community. 

1. Re-dedicate this year’s Pacific Beach Town Council theme (currently “Year of the Police”) as “Year of the People,” with community-based projects to help those underserved by city services.

2. Increase the representation of Black and non-Black people of color on the Pacific Beach Town Council Board, Discover PB Board, Planning Group and Beautiful PB Board to 25% to reflect the racial diversity of the PB community. [NB: According to Niche.com, 76% of Pacific Beach residents are White, 14% are Hispanic, 4% are Asian, 3% are two or more races, and 2% are African American.]

3. Establish a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee with the objective of actively listening to the needs of historically underrepresented residents in Pacific Beach, identifying how to help address racial and social justice.

4. Change the name of the Pacific Beach Community Park to “Fannie and William Payne Community Park,” in honor of the late Mr. William Payne, the first black teacher at Pacific Beach Middle School, and his wife the late Ms. Fannie Payne, San Diego educator and philanthropist. 

5. Create opportunities to honor and acknowledge the Kumeyaay peoples, the original inhabitants of this land before colonization.   

6. Implement a community mentorship and college access program for historically marginalized and underrepresented students at Mission Bay High and Pacific Beach Middle School. The focus should be on connecting these students with local community mentors/sponsors, ensuring their academic success, and college preparedness.

7. Host events specifically for Black and non-Black residents of color to connect, heal, and build community.

8. Ban symbols that are representative of racism from public spaces, such as the Confederate flag and “Thin Blue Line.” 

9. Select and hire more diverse performers, businesses, and vendors for Pacific Beach community events such as Concerts on the Green and Beachfest. Select and hire more diverse artists for community art projects.

10. Host an annual Diversity Assembly to assess the progress of initiatives put forth in this letter and reinforce community anti-racism goals.

We don't have all the solutions. I am white and privileged. I am struggling with my own fragility and how I've contributed to racist systems my entire life. I'm part of the problem. But taking these first, small steps towards uncovering, highlighting and learning from Pacific Beach's tapestry of diversity are essential. We can do better. We must do better. 

Thanks for joining the journey,

Regina