Yasmine-Imani McMorrin (she/her/hers)

Affiliations:

Culver City Councilwoman and former Mayor of Culver City

What was childhood like for you from an urban planning and community development perspective?

I grew up in Newark, New Jersey until 1st grade. My dad was a police officer and we lived in a duplex, with my grandmother living on the top floor. Then we moved to South Orange which was a more affluent and highly-resourced area, while still maintaining proximity to my grandmother. The move allowed me to begin attending public school due to the design of the new neighborhood. In some way, shape, or form, I have always lived in neighborhoods that have been impacted by redlining.

What sparked your passion in the field of urban planning and community development?

As someone who entered the field as a lay person, I had no awareness of the technical knowledge related to urban planning and community development. My focus was on can I afford to have a bigger place. I would think about what if someone wanted to have another kid, would the housing market be able to accommodate this decision? I would then think through the broader resources and amenities offered in the neighborhood, such as a park to walk to. I did not connect the technical dots until my appointment to Culver City’s General Plan Advisory Committee. I was continuously advocating for topics that were influenced and impacted by the general plan.

How does that passion manifest in your current role?

After serving as Vice Chair for the General Plan Advisory Committee, I decided to run for City Council on a platform of needing more affordable housing and forward-thinking solutions. I have since gone on to become the first Black woman to serve on Culver City Council as a council member and mayor. Being the first, my passion is sustained in this work by the support of my family. It is a privilege to have navigated various barriers and because of that I often want to be strategic about what I can and cannot move. For instance, during my 1st Pride in Culver City a single-mother of color came up to me and thanked me for advocating for her needs and allowing her to feel seen and heard in the legislative process. I always ask myself how I can set families up to thrive, to ensure city services are properly serving all members of the community, and to further fair housing.

Where do you see opportunities in the field to move the needle towards a Beloved Community?

We have an obligation to tighten up systems to ensure functioning at the highest level and to ensure people are having positive experiences within the City.

Culver City was designed in exclusion so we have an obligation to design explicitly in the other direction, particularly through our approach to housing. The availability of housing, the cost of housing, the habitability of housing. We would like to ensure the process is more transparent and easy to understand for community members. Part of that is that we have brought back the City’s Housing and Homelessness Subcommittee and we’ve made it a standing committee to ensure public participation.

What’s one piece of advice you would give to inspire, empower, and influence positive change?

We all were put here to do something unique. Whatever your gift is, hone in on it and share it. We are in a time where life feels uncertain and destabilizing. These are the times where we lean into what brings us ease and lean into the skills that come natural to you. If we are all operating in our gifts we’ll have better and healthier communities.