Jimmy Panetta: “although my heart hangs low, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Ms. Helen Rucker. This week, she passed at the…”

“although my heart hangs low, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Ms. Helen Rucker. This week, she passed at the young age of 93. Now, despite the challenges that Helen faced throughout her life, Helen Rucker worked very hard to become the somebody who was a sustainer of Seaside, California, the educator of our community, and the epitome of our democracy. Helen faced blatant racial discrimination in her formative years. As a child in Louisiana, she was turned away from the local public library to being a college graduate and experiencing some of the same type of bigotry when she applied for her first job as a librarian. Rather than being despondent, she was driven to make a difference with education not just in her life, but in our lives. She worked for decades as a teacher and a librarian. She served as a Seaside city councilmember, a school board member, and a trustee with our local school district. Outside of her job, she delved deeper into our community by volunteering on such important and challenging issues as civil rights, prison education, HIV prevention, police reform, affordable housing, and so much more. Helen Rucker was an influencer well before the internet was around. She wasn't about clicks or likes. Instead, she was about organizing and galvanizing people. She wasn't about dividing people, but Helen Rucker was all about bridging our divides.”