Stop by the Mill Valley Public Library between February 27-April 30 to see this multimedia exhibition—featuring photographs, oral history interviews, biographies, and video—which explores the rich history of Tamalpais High School’s African American community over the past century.
Leaders & Legends, Artists & Athletes, Families & Faculty
Co-curated by the Lucretia Little History Room and the Marin City Historical & Preservation Society, the show celebrates the accomplishments of Tam High’s many notable Black alumni, from pioneering civil rights leader William L. Patterson (1911) to renowned musician George Duke (1963) and former NFL defensive back Honor Jackson (1966).
The show chronicles the story of local families with multiple generations of Tam High alumni, such as Terrie Harris-Green (1967) and her son, Play Marin founder Paul Austin (1994), and activist and community leader Royce Yvonne McLemore (1960) and her granddaughter, doctoral candidate Malachia Hoover (2008). It also highlights Tam faculty and staff who have left an enduring legacy, such as Henry “Hank” Marshall, Jewel Barrow, Betty Hodges, and Barbara “Babs” Morgan.
The History — and Future — of Our Community
The exhibition concurrently documents the evolution of race relations at Tam High and how they mirrored broader social and historical developments, from the birth of Marin City in the 1940s through the Civil Rights Movement of the ‘50s and ‘60s, and, more recently, the Black Lives Matter movement and the response to the 2020 murder of George Floyd.
The show’s opening is timed to coincide with the 57th anniversary of the original 1967 Breakthrough Day at Tam High, and to spotlight that event as well as Operation Breakthrough and Project Breakthrough—all of which were student- and community-led initiatives aimed at addressing racial tensions and segregation on campus and in the community.
Exhibition-related programs, talks, and film screenings, to be announced soon, will provide a platform and forum for multiple generations of Tam High’s Black community, as well as the larger Marin community to learn, connect, and help shape our collective future.
Exhibition runs February 27 through April 30 2024
Mill Valley Public Library, Lower Level Gallery
Hours: M-Th 10am-8pm; Fri 10am-5pm; Sat/Sun 12pm-5pm