Ella Ruthie Watts is one of the first to be honored on Seaside’s Broadway ‘Walk of Fame,’ and she earned it.

Her presence, whether on the street or indoors, instantly grabs your attention. Ella Ruthie Watts, 89, dresses elegantly from head to toe and always dons a hat – maybe nothing unexpected from someone who modeled in her youth and was a hairdresser for 35 years, but on the Monterey Peninsula, her fashion stands out.

But there’s another reason people recognize Watts. She is a community leader and activist who, through the civil rights movement and beyond, has left a mark on Seaside.

For over 40 years, she fought for racial justice in schools, politics, housing, and workplace rights in Monterey County. Watts, who is Black, experienced segregation firsthand. She grew up in South Carolina; it was a time younger generations know through movies and books, but it’s a time in Watts’ life that fueled her activism.

She says God directed her life: “I give him credit for my direction and my path of becoming involved,” Watts says.

When she was young, Watts worked for a white family. One of the children wanted to eat with Watts, and she remembers one of the parents stepping in: “No, you can’t do that.” The girl cried about it, and she was later allowed to sit with Watts in the kitchen. It wasn’t just the parents’ negativity, but the child’s innocence about racial dynamics that Watts remembers.

“Kids don’t see color. They see you as an individual,” she says.

Watts’ husband served in the military and traveled the world. She first came to Monterey County in 1966, and since then she’s been active in Seaside and beyond. She has been instrumental in helping local students to continue with their education and pushing local colleges and schools to hire more teachers of color. Watts is also a member of the NAACP. She has won several awards for her work, including “Woman of Year” on the Monterey Peninsula by the California State Legislature.

In February, Watts was one of six Seaside residents recognized on the city’s Broadway “Walk of Fame” for their contributions to their community.

Weekly: You are one of the first people to have a star on the Walk of Fame. How does that feel?

Watts: It’s such a high honor. Out of all the people they interviewed, I was one of the six; it just brought tears to my eyes. I look back over my life – you do things, but you don’t do it because of the honor, you do it because you see a need. And it’s nice to know that when you do something, they want to let you know how much they appreciate what you are doing.

People are going to see your name on the Walk of Fame. How do you want to be remembered?

I want to be remembered as caring, forgiving and supportive.

What was it like in the 1960s?

I worked in the Cato [women’s fashion] store in New York, where I could press the garments and put them out. Black folks could come in there and buy the garments, but they couldn’t try them on. So they took them home; if they didn’t fit, they couldn’t bring it back. That’s the way it was back then. You could go into the drugstore and buy a cone of ice cream, but you had to eat it out on the street.

What was a positive aspect of growing up at that time?

I had many mothers when I was growing up. Anyone could correct me and my parents would appreciate it but now you don’t.

Did conditions improve when you came to California?

Oh yes, oh yes. Because then they integrated schools. We had a Black principal. We had a Black superintendent at Monterey Peninsula Unified School District back then. Things changed.

Recently in Monterey County, there has been an effort to remove Confederate street names. And this comes after the national Black Lives Matter movement. What are your thoughts?

If it’s going to be offensive to any people of color, I think they should be removed. We need [movements like] Black Lives Matter. There is a lot of killing by police officers and a lot of killing by gang members. We have to keep that alive so we discuss it.

You wear hats regularly; how many do you have in your collection?

Oh, about 175. I have five closets full, but that’s OK.

Do you have a favorite?

All of them. That’s why I bought them. They are all my favorites. I can take [one] out and go out at night to some big event.