On March 15 of this year, East Palo Alto lost one of its prominent citizens, Mrs. Barbara Mouton. During her funeral celebration, she was described by community resident and activist William Webster as the architect of East Palo Alto's incorporation in 1983. Webster said that the notion of East Palo Alto becoming a city was Mrs. Mouton's idea.
Do you think in East Palo Alto now there are others who are of the caliber of Mrs. Mouton who are rising out of the city's younger generation? Have you seen younger people among you who are doing things that would inspire you to think of them as the future leaders of East Palo Alto?
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I will explore this further in other venues, but it occurs to me that we need to add a course to the curriculum of all grade and high schools that covers local history. We are taught the history of the nation and often of the state, but it is important that we also learn county, city and even neighborhood history. Otherwise how can we develop a sense of place that we can call home. Not having this sense leaves us more susceptible to displacement by gentrification and less willing to take on the leadership roles that any community requires to thrive. The story of Mrs. Mouton and the creation of the city of East Palo Alto is but the beginning, but a very important beginning. How we might do this I will leave for future discussion, but doing so might be a fitting tribute and memorial to Mrs. Mouton and might establish a means to keep those who would lead here in their own city.
Court Skinner, East Palo Alto
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