www.montereycountynow.com FEBRUARY 5-11, 2026 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 15 That the American experiment—a pluralistic society in which all are welcome, and all have an equal voice—is a work in progress 250 years on may be a surprise to no one. It is certainly not a surprise to Rosalyn Green and her daughter Tinisha DunnAlcantara, two generations of Seaside organizers who inherited a legacy from their elders. Both are leaders in the Monterey County Black Caucus, and both are participating in February’s Black History Month events this year. They are quick to note that the heritage of this occasion extends beyond their own family lineage: It is the 100th year since Carter G. Woodson, who born in 1875—just over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed—created the first Negro History Week to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. They remain worthy symbols of the work in progress: Champions of freedom whose achievements we celebrate, while also reminding us all of the continual effort. “One-hundred years is monumental,” Green says. “This month-long celebration, we hold it to be very sacred.” Dunn-Alcantara is also quick to note that the spirit of the month is celebration, but that does not mean resting on their laurels. “The celebration is the work,” she says. “Black joy is a part of our work. The excellence, the brilliance, the rebellion, the building—it’s all a part of the work.” This blend of work and celebration is reflected in a busy lineup of events this month, which has already begun. There was an expo on Feb. 4 featuring historic Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), and CSU Monterey Bay’s annual all-Black gala takes place on Feb. 7 (see p. 26). On Feb. 3, CSUMB screened the 1992 film Malcolm X, shining a light on the controversial civil rights organizer. More is coming, with an emphasis on education and storytelling, encouraging Black community members to find their own personal narrative and put it in context. The Monterey County Black Caucus (and others) will be at New Hope Baptist Church in Salinas (221 King St.) on Sundays, Feb. 8, 15 and 22 following church services at 11:30am. On Tuesday, Feb. 10 (9am-noon), they’ll be at the International School of Monterey (1720 Yosemite St., Seaside). An annual Black history program takes place at 3-6pm on Sunday, Feb. 15 at Oldemeyer Center in Seaside (986 Hilby Ave.) to showcase leadership from the past, present and future. At 5pm Wednesday, Feb. 25, the community is invited to celebrate Black culture and food at a night market at Everett Alvarez High School (1900 Independence Blvd., Salinas). Some events address specific problems: A blood drive encourages Black donors to contribute what can be life-saving for patients with certain genetic diseases (9:30am-1:30pm Thursday, Feb. 19 at the Helen Rucker Center at CSUMB); a workshop on cooperative housing focuses on ownership and affordability (10am-noon Saturday, Feb. 21 at the Oldemeyer Center). And against this backdrop, the community is grieving for Ronald Chyron Tinsley, a 31-year-old Black man from Seaside who was killed by a police officer during a traffic stop on Jan. 18; his funeral took place on Feb. 4. As law enforcement officials continue investigating the facts of the case (such as a struggle over a handgun), organizers are asking the public to remember the context. “The continued loss of Black lives at the hands of police is devastating,” said Andrea Manzo, executive director of Building Healthy Communities Monterey County. As some of the same fights continue, like the role of policing in Black communities, organizers are also finding solidarity with other urgent civil rights causes, like protecting immigrants. Knowing the history (and learning from it) is helping local leaders keep the spirit of Black History Month going at 100. “Some of the same things we are still dealing with,” Green says. “Fighting against anti-Blackness and for visibility and vitality for Black communities is at an all-time high and extremely important. We want to make sure the legacy continues, until we can righteously sing the lyrics of ‘Free At Least.’” And when we do get there, all voices are welcome—because until all of us are free, none of us are truly free. Sara Rubin is the Weekly’s editor. Reach her at sara@montereycountynow.com. Rhyme of History The 100th Black History Month revisits many familiar themes. By Sara Rubin PERSONHOOD…First thing’s first: Squid is a cephalopod, not a person, so Squid is simply a bystander in this fight. But Squid is always curious about deliberations in the human realm of who qualifies as a person. That’s part of the argument the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District is making in its case before the State Water Quality Control Board urging the state to lift a cease-and-desist order on the Monterey Peninsula’s history of overpumping. The gist of the district’s argument is that thanks to a combination of conservation (less demand) and recycled water (more supply), the state should let the area out of water jail. California American Water is in the uncomfortable position of asking the state to keep the order in effect—unless and until the utility company’s desalination plant is built, that is. It’s more of the same debate that’s been happening for a long time, but Squid is amused by the latest backand-forth. Cal Am’s argument is that MPWMD is not actually “aggrieved,” but Squid thinks Cal Am missed the bigger point—MPWMD is surely aggrieved, but is quite unambiguously not a person. But no matter; the debate is less about personhood than whether there is sufficient water. As the arguments pile up, Squid is still waiting for a shoe to drop in this saga that has been going on since 1995— enough for 30 generations of squid. RINSE, REPEAT…Another February, another chance for Squid to give up on Squid’s new year’s resolutions after one month. Another year at the Monterey County Board of Supervisors means a rotation to a new chair (this year that’s Wendy Root Askew) and a deja vu battle for which supervisors get appointed to influential committee positions. Just like last year, that battle on Feb. 3 included which two supervisors would get voting positions on the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO). And in this rerun, Supervisor Luis Alejo again leaned on a claim of racism to log his opposition to Root Askew’s nominations (herself and Supervisor Kate Daniels). “This county is 60-percent Latino and there is no Latino representation whatsoever on LAFCO,” Alejo said. “That’s an injustice and we’ll keep raising that. In a diverse county like ours, we should make sure it represents the people.” Daniels was quick to point out there had been other opportunities for other entities (such as a group of the county’s 12 mayors) to appoint a Latino to LAFCO—but inconvenient political alliances got in the way. As the board voted 3-2 (again) to make the appointments, Root Askew said, “We can agree to disagree about the issues and then move onto the next item.” Except Squid expects to see this one in the reruns yet again. THE LOCAL SPIN SQUID FRY THE MISSION OF MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY IS TO INSPIRE INDEPENDENT THINKING AND CONSCIOUS ACTION, ETC. “Black joy is a part of our work.” SEND SQUID A TIP: squid@montereycountynow.com
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