Friends and Neighbors,
We are living through a moment.
In this moment, a growing coalition has coalesced around the undeniable notion that Black Lives Matter. It’s an honest recognition that this country has overlooked, underinvested, and undermined the aspirations of our black residents.
Being part of the movement stating clearly that Black Lives Matter is only the beginning of the work we need to do to address the systemic injustice and racism. We must also move forward with action. In that spirit, I’m reaching out with an update on some of the work to advance racial justice that my office has undertaken since taking office seven months ago.
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➩ Celebrating National Black Business Month
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On Tuesday, Supervisor Walton and I introduced a Resolution urging the City and County of San Francisco to declare the month of August as Black Business Month and to recognize the 17th Annual National Black Business Month beginning on August 1, 2020.
National Black Business Month was founded in 2004, by San Franciscan Frederick E. Jordan Sr., P.E., a legendary civil engineer whose work has shaped the current skyline and infrastructure and John William Templeton, the creator of the California African-American Freedom Trail to help highlight Black entrepreneurs and encourage people to support their businesses; and
Our office works with many African American Fillmore residents who are looking to start businesses or succeed in entrepreneurial endeavors. The challenges to our black businesses are real and it is clear that our black businesses are struggling in the Fillmore and across the city, and many have closed in recent years. COVID is only making matters worse.
Through our resolution and recognition of August as Black Business Month, we encourage San Franciscans to support and shop at black businesses across the city to celebrate the 17th Annual National Black Business Month. Our black businesses need us now more than ever.
Click here for a list of Black owned businesses in District 5.
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➩ Standing up for Racial Equity in the Hub Plan
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The Board of Supervisors made a powerful statement this week on the future of development in this City. On a proposal to rezone the Hub area, an 84 acre area near Market and Van Ness, the board unanimously approved a limited plan, responding to demands made by a coalition of community groups, led by people of color, who said said loud and clear that the path to development starts with the community, and it is only with significant engagement and public benefits that will projects be able to move forward.
The plan we passed on Tuesday, as amended by my office, provides for a limited rezoning to allow three projects that have agreed to substantial community benefits to move forward, while creating a framework for additional race and equity analysis prior to moving ahead with the broader plan. Particularly given that the HUB includes and borders parts of the Western Addition, we believe greater involvement of African American leaders is an essential part of the upcoming equity analysis.
This is a big deal. I see it as an important paradigm shift in how we, as a city, pursue and approve major development, one that centers and elevates communities historically left out of the process. I want to thank the Central Cities Coalition for working with my office, and for all the advocates who have engaged with my office and the community to date.
We have a lot more work ahead--particularly on transportation, affordability levels, and the race and equity framework--but I am proud of the balanced approach my colleagues unanimously approved Tuesday.
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➩ Recognizing Trailblazers in the African American Community
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After months of coordination with the San Francisco Black Firefighters, we officially renamed a section of Willow Street after Earl Gage Jr., the first black firefighter in San Francisco.
Mr. Earl Gage Jr. became the first black firefighter in 1955. He remained the City’s only black firefighter until 1967. Prior to his retirement from the SFFD in 1983, Earl Gage Jr. served as the department’s director of community services and enacted a series of progressive hiring policies that served to increase racial diversity within the Department and, in turn, city government. He worked diligently to develop inclusive and equitable processes for recruitment and integration. His dedication to these principles shaped SFFD policy and empowered civil rights advocacy in our City.
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In these challenging times, as racial animus rears its ugly head around the country and thousands have taken to the streets to demand that Black Lives Matter, it is an absolute honor to commemorate and celebrate this black leader and pioneer of the Civil Rights movement here in San Francisco.
Earl Gage Jr passed away on July 30, 2017 at the age of 90. His memorial service was held at the Third Baptist Church, just blocks from the street that will now bear his name.
The Black Firefighters Association, the neighbors and my office plan to host a block party on this newly memorialized street as soon as it’s safe to do so. A mural is also being planned by the artist Crayonne, known for his massive rendering of Martin Luther King Jr, Gandhi, Cesar Chavez, and Mother Teresa at 22nd and Mission.
All of this was made possible by the advocacy of SF Black Firefighters and their president Sherman Tillman. I am deeply appreciative for their work as first responders, and for working with our office to bring the community together in this endeavor. I am honored to have met the family of Earl Gage Jr, including Blondell Gage Chism, who joined us at the announcement. Also, thank you to our intern, Bobby Nichols, who did so much work toward this accomplishment!
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➩ Commitment to Reallocate Police Budget Funds to Much Needed Services
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The Black Lives Matter movement has elevated the fact that our poor, unhoused, and black and brown neighbors are targeted by police violence at unacceptable rates, and time for real reform is now. One loud and clear directive is that we must reallocate SFPD funds in this year’s budget cycle to safe investments like public health, housing, reparations for communities most targeted by policing and imprisonment such as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, trans communities, and our unhoused neighbors.
Our office led the opposition to the interim budget, which shockingly proposed MORE funds for our police force. Dean also attended the budget committee hearing where he scrutinized the budget and already proposed major cuts. We’re also proud to have cosponsored multiple resolutions calling for defund. As budget season is upon us, our focus is a plan that keeps all of us safe, which means social services, education, housing, and non-armed alternatives to police.
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➩ Fighting for Midtown Apartments
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Midtown was built in 1967 as replacement housing for Fillmore/Western Addition families who lost their homes during our City’s Civic Redevelopment. Even before taking office, we have worked closely with the residents of Midtown in their fight for housing justice.
When there was a threat to demolish the 139-unit complex, we stood with residents and made sure that these homes were not destroyed. When we took office, one of the first efforts we announced was to extend greater renter protections to the many African-American, Asian-American, Latinx-American and Eastern European families who call Midtown home.
We’ve been working for months with the residents to craft legislation. The central issue is that in 2014, when management of Midtown changed hands, some residents experienced massive rent hikes -- some as high as 300% -- which could never happen in rent controlled housing.
We are working hard to fix this injustice, and make sure that Midtown residents are treated with the fairness and respect they deserve, and that we can preserve a path, ultimately, to tenant self-determination and ownership.
The ball is rolling, but it’s not over. Our legislation, introduced in May, will come to a Committee vote in the late summer, so stay tuned for updates and ways to take action. The fight for Midtown is in many ways a fight for what’s right in San Francisco, and our office is committed to seeing this to the finish.
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➩ Standing up for Black Inmates at San Quentin
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From the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, the incarcerated population, disproportionately African American, in San Quentin’s facilities has been vulnerable to community spread. The prison had already been overcrowded by hundreds of people incarcerated, pushing their resources to the limit, yet it remained virus free. At the end of May, after an emergency transfer from an infectious hotspot, the Institution for Men in Chino, the first case was identified. Within weeks, there was a surge of cases among the people incarcerated and staff. As of July 27th, reports show just under 2,100 inmates and 234 staff members tested positive. Nineteen of those individuals, from the general population and death row, died. There’s speculation that another nine deaths are attributed to complications due to the coronavirus. This is outrageous.
In light of this situation, the Governor promised to release 8,000 inmates statewide by August. There is no time to waste, and earlier this month, I urged my colleagues to join me in a resolution demanding immediate action to stem this outbreak and ensure safety for the prison community.
Under the Governor’s plan, around 100 people incarcerated would be eligible for expedited release while the conditions continue to deteriorate. I think this is woefully inadequate. In our resolution, the leadership is required to provide inmates with updates of their communal situation, provide personal protective gear and adequate testing, and to end unsafe transfers to and from San Quentin.
This legislation joins a coalition of prison reform groups in calling for a 50% population reduction to enact effective social distancing. Since its passage, the Governor has spoken out against transfers and San Quentin constructed a 220-bed facility to treat COVID-positive people incarcerated and isolation tents to keep those infected from the general population. Time is of the essence and we need to act quickly to keep everyone inside the facilities safe as well as the employee’s families.
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➩ Taking on Dangerous Use of Force in SFPD
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In the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder in Minneapolis, I called for a hearing on law enforcement restraint techniques that restrict breathing or blood flow posing a serious risk of injury or death and the announcement of legislation to permanently ban the technique. Our call for a hearing came after a video surfaced showing an SFPD officer with their knee on or near the neck of Kajon Busby, a 19-year old San Franciscan earlier this year.
Shortly after our announcement, Chief Scott took swift action to change the use of force policy to ban the knee-to-neck restraint and the Police Commission for moving forward to unanimously approve a bulletin to explicitly bar officers from kneeling on a person’s neck. The bulletin also prevents officers from forcing people to remain sitting or laying on the ground.
The order also prohibits the use of chokeholds and applying pressure to the neck, head and throat when arresting individuals, and bars officers from forcing people to sit or lay on the ground. It promotes an officer’s duty to intervene in a situation where they know or suspect another officer is using unnecessary force and ultimately, enforces their responsibility to report all of these situations.
There is work to be done, but we will continue to monitor the use of force policy within the San Francisco Police Department to make sure it is enforced. I want to thank our Public Defender Mano Raju and his staff who had originally called for major reforms after a video surfaced showing an SFPD officer with their knee on or near the neck of Kajon Busby, a 19-year old San Franciscan earlier this year.
We must fight for accountability and justice across the country and in our city. This fight is nowhere near over, but these policy changes are a step forward.
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➩ Making Sure Every Tenant Has the Right to Counsel
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In June 2018, San Francisco voters passed Prop F, which guaranteed the right to counsel for any tenant facing eviction. This past February, I convened a hearing to share the program’s successes and where we need improvement.
The data clearly showed that tenants who had access to a lawyer were far more likely to stay in their homes. For every tenant who received full-scope representation, more than two-thirds (67%) were able to avoid eviction. The impact was biggest on African American tenants- 80% of African-Americans who faced eviction and were provided a lawyer were able to stay in their homes. While this program is available to every income level, 85% of those receiving counsel were extremely low or low income, and most of the rest were moderate income.
This is important to me. I led the fight for Right to Counsel at the ballot and am proud of the program’s success to date. There are less evictions filed and evictions decreased overall. With the public health and economic uncertainties of today, tenants need to know their rights, and know that they have legal support if needed.
But what the data also showed is that not every tenant receives “full scope” representation, and about one third receive “limited scope” assistance. For limited scope cases, the outcomes were far more likely to end in eviction.
Full funding for right to counsel is imperative, and following the hearing in February, I wrote a letter to the Mayor asking that we provide the resources necessary for this program to succeed. It is far and away the most cost effective anti-displacement tool we have, and particularly at a time of high uncertainty for housing stability, we need this program more than ever.
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➩ Supplying Essentials to our Most Impacted Communities
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At the beginning of March, our office partnered with UC Berkeley scientists to provide WHO (World Health Organization) formulated hand sanitizer to our most vulnerable San Franciscans. We distributed nearly 5,000 bottles of hand sanitizer and masks to Fillmore neighbors, including residents of Plaza East public housing, Midtown Park Apartments, Hayes Valley Public Housing, and Royal Adah Arms Apartments.
I’m so grateful for the Fillmore leaders who joined us, going door to door with us educating their neighbors on COVID-19 safety, passed out hand sanitizer and face masks. COVID-19 disparities are breaking along racial and socioeconomic lines because of underlying inequalities. It continues to be our priority to ensure our most-impacted communities have the supplies they need to weather this pandemic.
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➩ Partnering with Redemption Church
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Redemption San Francisco Church on McAllister and Divisadero is offering resources to neighbors affected by COVID-19. During Shelter in Place, many working San Franciscans sacrificed their own livelihoods in order to comply with Public Health orders meant to keep us safe. If you have lost wages or have been furloughed and live or work in the neighborhood, there’s a short form to fill out and Redemption Church will respond. There’s no catch!
So far, they’ve been able to award gifts to barbers and musicians who have lost wages during the ongoing state of emergency. Our office will continue to work closely with Redemption Church to distribute PPE, hand sanitizer, and other donations to our most vulnerable. Thank you for stepping up and providing for neighbors during this incredibly difficult time! Click here for more information.
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➩ Beauty Behind Bars, No More Shame!
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Honey Art Studio & Yerba Buena Center for the Arts is hosting an Art Showcase: Beauty Behind Bars, No More Shame!
They will be honoring artists who are in prison as well as their families.
Attend the Showcase on 8/16
Please contact: Honeyartstudio415@gmail.com to submit or if you have any questions.
Thank you Ericka Scott for sharing this with us and for all of your work.
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My office -- all of us -- have been fighting for racial justice for years. We know that now, more than ever, is the time to step up that fight. The actions of leaders must match the rhetoric. Centuries of racism will not be undone by press release, but instead by meaningful action for transformative change, led by grassroots community members, especially those who have been the targets of racism and hate. We urge everyone to join this struggle and we pledge to continue to support those fighting for change in every possible way. Please do not hesitate to reach out to our office with any ideas, questions or concerns, at prestonstaff@sfgov.org.
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