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Description
In this oral history, Annabella Robinson discusses her life and the experiences of her interracial family in Mill Valley. Born in Ohio in 1931 to Italian immigrant parents, Annabella joined the Air Force after high school, which took her first to Texas, then to Wyoming, and finally to Parks Air Force Base in the East Bay. Annabella recounts how she met her husband Glen, who grew up in Marin City and was a basketball star at Tamalpais High School, and who went on to become the first black U.S. marshal in California. Annabella describes living with Glen and their first child, Marcus (who was born while they were stationed in Alaska) for a few years in Marin City before they moved to Mill Valley around 1960, where they welcomed two more children, Curtis and Staci, into the family. Only a few black families had lived in Mill Valley before Annabella and Glen bought their home in Homestead Valley, and she recounts both the racial prejudice they experienced as well as the neighborhood community they helped to create and sustain over the decades. Annabella and Glen were married for nearly 50 years at the time when Glen passed away in 2005. 87 years old at the time this oral history was recorded, Annabella describes leading an active and busy life, full of family, volunteering, and social activities. Editor's note: This interview includes mature content.
Identifier
D10D84AA-7DC2-4C46-8FAF-355154471730 2018.034.001
Subject
Air forces Basketball D'Angelo restaurant Davood's restaurant Discrimination Federal Marshall Hearst, Patty Homestead School Homestead Valley Interracial marriage Johnson, Jimmy Kennedy, Bobby Korean War Lockwood's Pharmacy Maloof, Maxine Maloof, Molly Marin City MV history - Baby boom years (1950s and early 1960s) North Ferndale Avenue Oral history - Discrimination, segregation, racism Racism Redlining Robinson, Annabella Robinson, Curtis Robinson, Glen Robinson, Marcus Robinson, Staci Shakur, Tupac Sunshine Club Volunteer work
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