Sen. Bill Dodd taps Petaluma’s Faith Ross as Sonoma County ‘Woman of the Year’

Faith Ross, co-founder of Petaluma Blacks for Community Development, is this year’s Sonoma County Woman of the Year.

The honor, bestowed by Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, to one woman in each of the counties he represents, is part of a long-running California Senate tradition meant to honor impactful women in March, Women’s History Month.

In a news release announcing the Ross pick Tuesday, Dodd’s office highlighted her decades of work curating Petaluma’s Black History Month as well as her recent leadership throughout the Black Lives Matter movement and the city’s ongoing efforts to improve race relations and policing.

“Faith kept a spotlight on the many contributions of African Americans and the challenges they continue to face at a time of great reckoning in our country,” Dodd said in the release. “She emerged as a leading voice in our community as we strive for racial equity and social justice. I’m proud to recognize her efforts at this turning point in our history.”

Ross moved to Petaluma in 1975, later founding the nonprofit Petaluma Blacks for Community Development with fellow resident Gloria Robinson in 1978.

The organization, which works closely with other community groups such as the Petaluma Community Relations Council, was formed to unite the community and promote African American history through events and programming.

The group’s marquee event, Black History Month, often features weeks of educational and entertaining events, talks and concerts. Even during the pandemic, Ross maintained her decades-long streak, offering the events virtually and partnering with local artists to install a public art exhibition depicting portraits of diverse families in downtown windows and storefronts.

Ross and her group also stepped into a more visible role over the last year, after Petalumans took to the streets in outrage over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, later demanding the city take a closer look at its policing policies and race relations. Petaluma Blacks for Community Development co-hosted a community-led listening session for Black, Indigenous and people of color, and recently co-hosted the city’s January forum on racism and police interaction.

Ross, who retired from the Sonoma County assessor’s office, is also involved in the Petaluma Historical Library and Museum and the Petaluma Christian Church, where she teaches Sunday school. At the museum, she has curated exhibitions including “Women Who Fought for Civil Rights” and “The Many Faces of Petaluma – The Ethnic and Cultural Diversity of our City.”

“I am a Black woman who is proud to be a woman and Black,” Ross said in the release. “I refuse to believe that my skin color has anything to do with my character. I was brought up to respect others just as I want to be respected. I believe that we all have a responsibility to work within our community to make it equitable and safe for all.”

(Contact Kathryn Palmer at kathryn.palmer@arguscourier.com, on Twitter @KathrynPlmr.)