Valerie Bradford’s letter (Oct. 22) made my blood boil.
She claims that Santa Clarita is “deafeningly silent” when it comes to racism.
In response, I ask: What racism?
As usual, Valerie provides no current examples or metrics to support her contention.
With a populace of about 230,000, the incidents of racism in the Santa Clarita Valley per capita are literally minuscule in number. That is why she cites no specifics.
One must ask why she would make such a claim that SCV is racist and allegedly silent when it comes to it.
Perhaps it is because when a person like Bradford strongly identifies with a particular identity — whether it’s based on race, religion, gender, nationality, or any other social category — they may become deeply invested in the idea that this identity solely defines their place in the world. Doesn’t it raise her social currency to peddle stories of racism to keep her position/identity?
In a world where many causes vie for attention, Bradford’s focus on perceived racism can make her identity and that of the NAACP seem more urgent, ensuring that their concerns stay relevant in a very crowded landscape of social issues.
I assume Bradford has lived here for many years and enjoys all the wonderful amenities Santa Clarita has, like 13,000 acres of open space, 20 miles of bike paths, 38 parks, countless nonprofits, planned communities and more.
I assume Bradford knows that Santa Clarita was just recently ranked the sixth safest city in ALL of California and 29th nationwide by WalletHub.
I assume she knows all the good work the city has done and is doing for our unhoused neighbors. I assume she realizes she lives in a graffiti-free, trash-free valley, unlike our neighbors in San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel Valley and the city of Los Angeles.
I assume she realizes we have no tent cities commandeering sidewalks and no broken-down RV’s camped in her neighborhood or others.
I assume she realizes we have amazing law enforcement personnel who not only work here to protect us all, but coach our kids in sports like football and baseball and other activities.
I assume she knows that SCV has a Latino former mayor and mayor pro tem (Bill Miranda), Latino congressman (Mike Garcia), Latino former state Assemblywoman (Suzette Martinez Valladares), a Latino planning commissioner (Patsy Ayala), a Black chairwoman of the Valley Industry Association (Selina Thomas), a Black parks commissioner (Di Thompson) and more.
Valerie Bradford is clearly living in the past while this community is busy, now, making meaningful progress forward without her. It is her silence on all the good Santa Clarita offers that is deafening.
Anna Meeks
Santa Clarita
