District 4<\/a>.<\/p>\n\u201cIt is not a result of being ashamed of being from southeast San Diego,\u201d Harvey said. \u201cI\u2019m a proud southeast San Diego resident, but we are made up of various communities; that\u2019s the difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harvey was born in Chicago, but moved to San Diego as a child. She graduated from Lincoln High School and received her bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s degrees from Point Loma Nazarene University. Harvey later went to the University of Southern California to get her doctorate.<\/p>\n
She has worked for San Diego City College as an adjunct professor, counselor and director of development. Harvey was also the dean of academic affairs at the California Community College Online Education Initiative and the dean of career education at Mt. San Jacinto College.<\/p>\n
Now Harvey is taking on a new role: business owner. She plans to open up Mvinyo Book Bar, a place where the public can meet over books and wine.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, it\u2019s about more than a business,\u201d Harvey said about Mvinyo, which means wine in Swahili. \u201cIt\u2019s about giving people a space to gather, to share stories, to learn and to enjoy the beauty and creativity that\u2019s always been a part of this community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harvey is also on the San Diego Black Arts & Culture District\u2019s advisory committee. It was created almost three years ago to suggest arts and cultural activities for the San Diego African American Museum of Fine Art.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Harvey chose to highlight places in and around Encanto for dining, artwork and entertainment options because she said, \u201cit\u2019s where the vibrancy and history of San Diego\u2019s Black community come alive through culture, creativity and connection.\u201d<\/p>\n
Q: Where is your favorite dining option?<\/strong><\/p>\nA:<\/strong> Caribbean Taste. It\u2019s one of those down-home locals\u2019 favorites where the food just hits. Even as a vegetarian, I\u2019ve got plenty to love: their veggie plates, rice and peas (and) plantains all seasoned like somebody\u2019s grandma is in the back cooking. And when I\u2019m there, people are hanging out, chatting; It\u2019s more than a restaurant, it\u2019s a whole cultural vibe. It feels like a little slice of the islands right here in Encanto. You go once, and you\u2019re already planning your next visit before you leave.<\/p>\nQ: What is your favorite small retail business or pop-up vendor to support?<\/strong><\/p>\nA:<\/strong> The Mental Bar. I love it because it\u2019s so much more than just great coffee or food; it\u2019s the vibe. The atmosphere is warm, creative and intentionally rooted in community and culture. Every detail, from the d\u00e9cor to the playlist, makes it feel like a space designed for connection. The menu features high-quality, thoughtfully sourced ingredients and the drinks taste like they\u2019re crafted with both passion and precision. My personal favorite is the blueberry lavender lemonade; it\u2019s refreshing, unique and delicious. What makes The Mental Bar even more special is how often it highlights local artists, musicians and entrepreneurs. Every visit feels like you\u2019re supporting something bigger than a cafe. It\u2019s a cultural hub where you can meet friends, get some work done or simply enjoy the energy of the space.<\/p>\nQ: Where is your favorite open space?<\/strong><\/p>\nA:<\/strong> Marie Widman Park, named for civic leader Marie C. Widman. This southeast San Diego landmark is the heartbeat of the Black Arts & Culture District. Once home to countless cultural celebrations, the park embodies Widman\u2019s legacy of arts, equity and community pride. Today, it hosts family events, live music and gatherings that keep her vision alive \u2014 making it a must-visit spot for history, culture, and connection.<\/p>\nQ: Where is the best piece of artwork?<\/strong><\/p>\nA: <\/strong>That is a difficult question. Encanto is home to a significant piece of public art by internationally known artist Therman Statom. He created the iconic bus stop on Imperial Avenue at Valencia Parkway. Stratom is a sculptor, glass artist and painter. We also have 24 art panels by the artist\/muralist Eddie Edwards. The panels were installed as a concept from the community requesting that the artist depict the history of San Diego. Most recently is the addition of the artist Maxx Moses and his Graffiti Gardens studio.<\/p>\nFor me, Maxx Moses Studio is where art, culture and community collide. Maxx\u2019s murals don\u2019t just bring color to walls \u2014 they tell our stories, our history, our dreams. It\u2019s also just a cool space to hang out. He\u2019s hosted all kinds of fun gatherings, like Black Art Friday, where artists can sell their work and reimagine Black Friday as a celebration of creativity and culture. Every visit feels like stepping into the creative heartbeat of Encanto, where art isn\u2019t just seen, it\u2019s felt.<\/p>\n
Q: Where is your favorite entertainment attraction or historic landmark?<\/strong><\/p>\nA:\u00a0<\/strong>Ringer\u2019s Roller Rink, do I even need to explain why? It\u2019s a roller rink, first! Music, skating, hanging out, it doesn\u2019t get better than that. And this isn\u2019t just any roller rink; it\u2019s outdoors with the best vibes all around. They offer open skating, lessons, private parties and family fun nights. Fridays are all about \u201990s throwback jams, while Saturdays bring hip-hop nights, turning the whole rink into a party on wheels. Oh, and did I mention they have a women\u2019s roller derby? Seriously, what more could you ask for?<\/p>\nOriginally Published: September 30, 2025 at 4:17 PM PDT<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Marilyn Denise Harvey, a college dean, educator, business owner and resident of Valencia Park, wants the public to…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":267768,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5134],"tags":[5229,1582,276,63756,171,66363,1370,3549,3550,7264,1072,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-267767","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-diego","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-ca","10":"tag-california","11":"tag-encanto-neighborhoods","12":"tag-entertainment","13":"tag-handpicked-by-locals","14":"tag-latest-headlines","15":"tag-san-diego","16":"tag-san-diego-county","17":"tag-sandiego","18":"tag-things-to-do","19":"tag-united-states","20":"tag-united-states-of-america","21":"tag-unitedstates","22":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","23":"tag-us","24":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115295972549085086","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/267767","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=267767"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/267767\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/267768"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=267767"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=267767"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=267767"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}