What’s goin’ on at Golden Gate Village?

by Beverly Freeman, resident of Golden Gate Village

As residents of Golden Gate Village in Marin City, California, we are speaking up — not because we’re angry for no reason, but because we’ve been pushed to the edge by the very institutions that claim to care about our well-being. The Marin Housing Authority (MHA) and the Marin County Board of Supervisors (BOS) have constructed a narrative about redevelopment, but it’s nothing more than a cover-up for displacement. We live here. We know what’s really happening.

For years, our homes have been intentionally neglected. Repairs are delayed, services are inconsistent, and our voices are dismissed. Then we’re told the buildings are beyond repair and need to be demolished. That’s not redevelopment — it’s sabotage. This is what they do when they want to justify erasing a community. But we are not disposable. Our families, our children, and our elders deserve more.

Look at what they did with the Aspinall Federal Building. That structure was in terrible shape, yet it was restored with care and investment. Why can’t they do the same for us? Why is it that when a historic building serves the public in other parts of the county, it gets preserved — but when it houses low-income Black families, the plan is to tear it down to the slab and frame?

As residents, we’re not asking for anything outrageous. We’ve created a professional, resident-led redevelopment plan (see https://www.ggvrc.org/ewExternalFiles/RESIDENT%20PLAN_complete.pdf) that calls for restoring the historic integrity of Golden Gate Village while upgrading it to meet modern standards. We’ve done our part. We’ve taken classes, completed training and partnered with experts. Yet our plan continues to be ignored. Why? Because demolition is more profitable for developers — and our removal is more convenient for those who never wanted us here in the first place.

“In Marin County, where the median income is over $140,000, “affordable” means housing for people making $100,000 or more.”

They say they care about us. If that were true, we wouldn’t be constantly stressed out. Our daily lives are full of anxiety — caused not by our neighbors or our buildings, but by how we’re treated by those in charge. Recertification is a nightmare — confusing, late and sometimes downright hostile. People have faced threats of eviction over mistakes made by management, not residents. Parking policies change without notice and are enforced in ways that punish rather than protect. It’s not just unprofessional — it’s inhumane.

We’re also tired of the language games. The County keeps using the word “affordable” like it means something. But they never use the term “low-income.” And that’s not a coincidence. In Marin County, where the median income is over $140,000, “affordable” means housing for people making $100,000 or more. Most of us in Golden Gate Village make under $30,000 a year. So who, exactly, are they building for?

Golden Gate Village isn’t just a place — it’s the last intact historically Black neighborhood in Marin County (of few in the U.S.). It was built to house the African American workers and families who stayed after World War II. We are the legacy of those who helped build this nation, yet we are being treated like obstacles to progress. This isn’t just happening here. From Seneca Village to Black Bottom to the Fillmore District, this country has a long history of destroying Black communities in the name of “development.”

We’re not going to be the next name on that list.

We want an end to this destructive cycle of planned neglect, demolition and gentrification. We want respect for our history and investment in our future. We want the opportunity to thrive where we live — not be pushed out to make room for wealthier, whiter residents.

As residents of Golden Gate Village, we are calling for support from anyone who believes in justice. Stand with us. Demand that the MHA and BOS honor the resident-led plan. Help us preserve our homes, our culture, and our right to remain. This is about more than buildings. This is about belonging.

Golden Gate Village could be a national model for what community-led revitalization looks like. We don’t have to destroy history to build a better future. We can repair, restore and reimagine — with the people who live here at the center.

We are not the problem. We are the solution. And we will no longer be silenced.

We are tired of being labeled crazy, difficult or stuck in the past just because we refuse to accept displacement as progress. We are deeply rooted in truth, and we are rising with clarity, unity and love.

We are no longer asking — we are affirming. We are staying. We are building. And we are calling on this nation to recognize what’s happening here before it’s too late.

Let Golden Gate Village be the turning point. Let this be the last time a Black community has to fight tooth and nail just to exist. We are done being quiet.

This is #LoveOnTheMove. This is how we stop the KKKilling of Black communities — by showing up, speaking truth and standing firm. We love where we live. We love who we are. And we will not be moved.

It takes great courage to speak out as Beverly Freeman has done here. The SF Bay View appeals to the authorities to listen and learn from what she writes and NOT EVICT HER or any of the Golden Gate Village residents for speaking out. We ask our readers to come to their aid in any way you can. Email Beverly Freeman at godsingb@gmail.com. Learn more about Golden Gate Village and its history, its residents and their plans for the future at the website of the Golden Gate Village Resident Council, https://www.ggvrc.org/. 

As residents of Golden Gate Village, we are calling for support from anyone who believes in justice.

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Source: https://sfbayview.com/2025/08/whats-goin-on-at-golden-gate-village/