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Monrovia honoring Almera Romney with city’s sixth Neighborhood Treasure
Monrovia Weekly Mar 17, 2022
In 1946, teacher Romney is standing next to Mimi Martin (Mency) – to become the first African American School Board member in 1972. | Photo courtesy of Matthew MacArthur
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The City of Monrovia is excited to announce the unveiling of the city’s sixth Neighborhood Treasure honoring Almera Romney.
All are invited to attend the block party on Saturday, March 19 from 11 a.m. through 1 p.m. at the Canyon Early Learning Center, located on 1000 S. Canyon Blvd.
Almera Romney was a woman who believed her faith dictated that all children, regardless of their ethnicity, should be treated equally. Over her 17-year tenure at Huntington Elementary School as a teacher and then principal, she fought her supervisor (who was also the school superintendent), her church and the local newspaper to draw resources and attention to give Huntington Elementary Students a good education.
Huntington Elementary was the segregated school that children of color in Monrovia were forced to attend. From 1946 to 1963, Ms. Romney was the driving force that transformed Huntington Elementary School from an under-resourced and physically unsafe school to a place where students thrived academically and socially.
She ensured students not only felt safe and valued, but no longer had cast-off books and unhealthy lunches. She disputed the belief that the children at Huntington Elementary were incapable of learning.
Neighborhood Treasures celebrates historically significant Monrovians through the installation of public art pieces in various neighborhoods throughout the community. The goal of the program is to enrich the lives of those who view the art and improve neighborhoods by its presence.
When designing a public art piece for Neighborhood Treasures, artists include specialized artwork that visually represents the life and contributions of the honorees.
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