Description

In this oral history interview, beloved elementary school teacher Shirley Hasley discusses not only her 38-year career in Mill Valley, but the people, experiences and attitudes that helped shape her steadfast convictions. Shirley (nee Andrews) moved with her family from Oklahoma to California in 1943. Growing up in a farm-like environment on the edge of Bakersfield, Shirley learned to work hard and take pride in what she did. Shirley tells how, even with 13 of their own children, her parents created a foster home for around 250 boys, girls, and adults over the course of their lifetimes - their generosity partially a product of the family's strong religious faith. This same faith taught Shirley to "turn the other cheek" in response to negativity, a behavior she employed in the face of prejudice throughout her life, and particularly as the first African American teacher in Mill Valley in the 1960s. Shirley's initial move to the Bay Area was precipitated by Willie Brown, who awarded her a scholarship to San Francisco State University and presented her to the city as a debutante. The beginning of Shirley's career at Park Elementary School was no less eventful: in her first year, Shirley took part in the school district's desegregation program as a teacher in Marin City and faced resistance from both the Marin City and the Mill Valley communities. Alongside the resistance came support from some, and throughout her oral history, Shirley traces her gradual acceptance into the Mill Valley community and its glowing...

Record Contributed By

Mill Valley Public Library

Record Harvested From

California Digital Library