By: Leanna Yu, Editor-in-Chief
The new Wishing Wall implemented at the Millbrae History Museum is a safe place for residents to showcase their social justice hopes for Millbrae. The Millbrae Museum is located at 420 Poplar Ave, directly across from the Millbrae Public Library, where community members can take a tag, write their wish, and tie it onto the Millbrae Museum fence.
The art installation for the Wishing Wall was brought by the Millbrae Anti-Racist Coalition (Millbrae ARC), a nonprofit organization of local residents educating the community through events and projects on the sysmematic oppression and racism towards BIPOC to promote anti-racism. The idea for the Wishing Wall was introduced by a member who suggested that they provide a platform for people to write their social justice wishes on tags. One of Millbrae ARC’s members, Amy Lauer, stated, “As we explored the idea and how to bring [the idea] to life, we researched Wishing Trees— a long standing tradition of hope and wellness.” The first wishes were made and displayed at the start of Labor Day weekend on Saturday, September 6th after being approved by the Millbrae Historical Society and plans to continue showcasing the Wishing Wall for as long as the Millbrae Museum allows.
The tagged picket fence was chosen as a symbol of the ultimate form of the American dream–– a happy family that lives in a modest residential home with children, pets, and a sense of community safety. On the Millbrae ARC’s Instagram page, the Coalition describes the significance of the Wall: “Everyone’s idea of the American Dream is different. And everyone in our community should have the opportunity to achieve their American Dream. The Wishing Wall is a place where you can put your hopes for the community to strive toward that equality.”
Millbrae ARC believes in Art-In-Action as a way to express what is difficult in words and to bring the community together through reflecting on the world around us. Lauer proclaims, “Authentic reactions spark the exchange of ideas, and overtime, shared understanding. This is another reason we nurture the Wishing Wall.” Another instance of Art-In-Action includes the “Chalk Out Racism” events that can be seen at City Hall, although other locations at Taylor, Rotary Park, Broadway, and Sawyer Camp Trail have been washed away.
The Millbrae Wishing Wall has grown since early September, with over 30 tags covering the side fence with positive social justice messages. As a note to the Mills community, Lauer encourages everyone “to think about your wish for our community’s future and share on our Wishing Wall. You are our future, and we want to make the necessary changes so everyone has the same freedom, justice, and safety to be who they are, wherever they are.” The Millbrae ARC intends to continue providing tags, pens, and other materials for the community to participate in the growth of the Wishing Wall.
