Racquel Vasquez: Black and Brown Americans continue to experience systemic racism. It's in our history.

I am an elected official, a Black woman, a mother of two daughters who are destined to become future leaders, and the wife for 26 years of a retired U.S. Navy veteran. But when you peel back all of these layers to the core of my value system, you will see that beyond the color of my skin and labels, I am human. I am a compassionate and spirited soul who loves helping people, all people, through public service.

As a Black woman leader, I care. I care about the values we all share. These values are freedom, equality and justice for all, which are important components of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence and are echoed in our laws today. But when these values are compromised, it slows down our ability to live and thrive in pursuit of the American Dream.

All Americans, including immigrants, Black and Brown, measure our progress in pursuit of the American Dream from the slaves who fought for freedom in the Civil War to the Civil Rights that began in 1954, and the United Farm Workers movement in 1965 that inspired the world to change. While these achievements are meaningful, impactful and significant, many Black and Brown Americans continue to experience systemic racism.

While visiting the Parsonage Museum with my daughters in 2003, I learned about the Lemon Grove Incident. Managed by the Lemon Grove Historical Society, the museum is a great place to take your children to see unique displays and exhibits that highlight the history of Lemon Grove.

The American Dream was compromised in 1930, when the Lemon Grove school board attempted to segregate 75 Mexican American-born children to be educated in a separate school building. A few thoughtful, caring and courageous Lemon Grove parents and residents moved forward with this nation's first recognized court-ordered school desegregation case, the Lemon Grove Incident. On March 30, 1931, the Superior Court of San Diego County ruled it was illegal to segregate children. This case set a precedent for the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark case, Brown v. Board of Education.

Read more perspectives on the Lemon Grove Incident:

No one wants to be confronted with a disaster, be it natural or human. The coronavirus pandemic forced every American, regardless of background, to reassess the founding values of America and to have a real conversation about our overall health and subjects like well-being, education, jobs and the strength of our economy. The killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, and locally, the encounter Amaurie Johnson had with La Mesa police at the Grossmont Transit Center elevated the conversation to include the safety of Black Americans, injustice, race relations and human rights.

Systemic racism is real and we must deal with it. Yes, we are different, imperfect and human, let's own it! As a leader, I know that when we reach critical mass, it is important to make adjustments to align our policies and procedures in support of our core American values. I know that more equitable outcomes for everyone can be achieved if we dig down deep to have uncomfortable conversations to explore the root cause of racism and inequality. When we know better, we can do better. This is the only way we will be able to eliminate racial disparities in support of the American dream.

I have experienced some very dark days in my lifetime, transferring to a new high school in the late 1980s with automatic placement in remedial classes due to the color of my skin. But my transcript clearly validates successful completion of college prep and Advanced Placement-level classes. I watched my daughters go through the same thing in the mid-2000s. Now, I will continue to remain hopeful!

We know that the time is right to do what is right. The time is right to support the American dream by making sure all children have access to quality education and technology. We can work together to support skilled labor and local businesses opportunities for everyone. Working together, we can ensure everyone has access to capital for investment in real property and business ventures in support of sustainable communities.

I believe our best work in supporting the American dream is in developing solutions through our combined efforts. Now is the time for us to reach across racial lines and age demographics to reduce the misery index. Let's unite now to end systemic racism in support of our American dream!

Vasquez is the first Black woman mayor in Lemon Grove and in San Diego County.

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