me receive this award, and i would also like to welcome thank you so much. thank you. [applause] >> congratulations. >> i just want to recognize and a bit of a surprise. i would like to bring up the longtime coach of --. thank you for all of the things

you have done for all of the students at st. ignatius. think you. -- thank you. my honoree is someone who is a very well-known to any of you that have spent any time at city hall and this would be alice -- we all know her as supervisor maxwell's 8 and a long-term volunteer and certainly for all of us who work on this floor as someone that we can work on -- count on for a smile.

beyond all of the work that was done for supervisor maxwell, what struck me was her commitment to her neighborhood. she lives in district 7. she lives right across the street from sunnyside elementary. what really stands out for me is that in the archdiocese, everyone talks about st. stephen's, st. brandon's. -- goes under the radar. alex is constantly -- the way that you are on me to support this is any indication, i can only imagine what you do with anyone else. they are very lucky to have an ambassador like you.

that is in your heart and convictions to be a neighbor and a supporter. the neighborhood is lucky to have you. over the past few years, the city of san francisco is lucky to have you as a legislative aide. [applause] >> thank you. when i received a call, i was shocked. i was totally surprised that he

would call and autonomy for black history month. i am truly blessed. it is a privileged to live and work in san francisco. i work a very tirelessly. i would like to thank all of you for recognizing black history month. the contributions that made african-americans part of -- the cut to beaches that african- americans have made are very important to the city. -- the contributions that

africans and americans have made are very important to the city. i would like to think mike's sonmy grandson, my children. -- and i noticed that carol is in the house. all of these people were strong supporters of me when i was working for supervisor maxwell. thank you. [applause] >> congratulations, alice. don't be a stranger. our next commendation will be offered by a our supervisor from

district 6. >> we wanted to recognized two advocates in district 6. the importance of recognizing a black history month. i recognize the position that i am in and the honor of serving our city and i would not be here if it was not for the work of many who have come before me, particularly in our civil-rights movement, in the community. many leaders men toward others and the day mentored me. i was mentored by an african- american woman who taught me the importance of making a difference. we wanted to recognize two leaders in district 6. victor nelson and -- collins.

many know both of them because they come often to us to the board of supervisors meeting and we see them in a neighborhood and doing tremendous efficacy for our residents. victor nelson has based his work around the concept of love. he first became educated about social compassion in 1997. he obtained his master's of social work degree from the school of social work and later went on to become a respected leader at the -- collaborative. he was known for working for increased participation in

government. he has become a in asset to our office and continues to advocate for african-american residents. i am honored to recognize you today. thank you. [applause] i also want to recognize -- collins to many of us know. many of us know her? the active years of activism. she has worked as a tenant rights activist in the mission

with the action network, the tenderloin housing clinic. most recently, she has been active in the -- community as an action network committee member and a member of the harvey milk democratic club. i am honored to recognize these leaders who have done so much on behalf of the residents of district 6. thank you.

>> supervisors, everyone in this room, i am honored and humbled and i pledge to my continued word towards the advocacy and support of those who are in places that they don't want to be. with black history month, i pledge to work with others so that we can all go forward. thank you. i appreciate this. >> this is also for those on scene activists in district 6. there are many of them out there. [applause] >> i would say to all of my chinese neighbors, happy lunar

new year to each and every one of you. i will dedicate a wall in my small apartment to hold this. what of the supervisor did not mention is that i am on the steering committee and the focus is about transgendered inclusion. as those who worked before me, civil-rights is a human right and a fight for equality is an ongoing fight 24 hours a day, seven days a week. i will end with words for martin luther king jr. "when a person cannot feed themselves, are they really existing?

a threat to justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere and this is not something i speak about, this is something i lived with every day." have a wonderful day. happy black history month. [applause] >> congratulations. >> i would like to bring up four powerhouses from the fillmore. they are known as caswell members of the -- cooperative. in my first week in coming to the elected office in 2005, we were confronted by hud is saying

that what they would shut down the co-op. this is 211 units of housing. for those of you who don't know what this is, this is a great idea in the 1960's that the federal government launched in order to give people of the working class a chance to own a piece of the rock. in san francisco, there was nearly 1600 units of cooperative housing. district 5 shares the majority of that housing cooperative. it is unfortunate that the federal and local government abandoned this strategy because this was a great entrance for people to get into housing ownership.

in 2005, they met with some problems and the had the department wanted to shut them down. when we tried to meet with them, they would not give us the time of day. we enlisted the whole community, the members who could not be here today, really rallied the community around the notion that by shutting down -- would be just as emblematic as shutting down the fillmore because of the fact of our urban renewal and gentrification and this would have certainly been exhibit a of one more insult to a community that was really part of the epicenter of the black community in san francisco the 1940's 50's and so on. with great perseverance, the

community began to rally together and fetid proposals that finally landed on hud's desk. thousands of hours of meetings where people who had a variety of mines and which way to go. these four individuals never lost focus and they never lost focus despite everything that came to try to distract them, of different strategies and gimmicks that tried to undermine what the total cost was which was saving -- you should see the rebuild. it is beautiful. but its predecessor was and what the units look like and what they are now, this pales as an example in a post redevelopment

world in the film more area. the fillmore was governed by the san francisco government agencies. to see this in the aftermath of the postwar development world is a signal of a community leader in the process and sending a very strong process -- a signal that this is being driven by the committee and it would not have happened if it was not for these individuals. on behalf of everyone else that came garvey, whether they were for this proposal or not, it came together and it coincides with some of the most well understood better missed that have occurred. public safety is never seen the level of drop in violent crime in 20 years. the level of enrichment and nourishment in some parts of

the quarter of fillmore and the surrounding areas, they might be struggling but this is in a post development world that they are doing this without a crutch. that is because of the leaders. let's hear it for those members of the co-op who are here with us today. [applause] >> i have been here since 1940. it amazes me to look at your wall -- at all of you. when i came here, there was nothing like this can tell i am proud to see this immigration.

-- there was nothing like this. i am proud to see this integration. i am so proud, i can go home. me, lee roy king, martin luther king, i was marching with them when they discriminated against us not having jobs, being teachers and everything. chinese, japanese, mexicans, we fought and that is what my dream was all about. i am so proud that i have lived to see this. all of the war does not mean

anything to me. martin luther king deserves the credit. he made a dream come true for everyone i am so proud that our city is recognizing all minorities. we have to stick together because we have a long fight. what keeps me going and i have fought for mar mr. king, i helped to build it, i sit down and the streets when the police would be us, they did not want us to have this. i fought so hard and i saw many

things. one thing that i will live to see and i am proud, i am worried about the future for the people. i hope that all of you take this in consideration, makes them proud, stopped them trying to kill each other. if you can be anything in your dreams can come true. that is all i wanted to say. thank you. [applause] >> to all of the supervisors that are present here today, i truly want to say a thank-you for the invitation of granting us the privilege of being here as african americans, leaders in this community.

i want to began, i myself being a young african-american female student in their rural south, 8 years old, not really knowing what prejudice was all about. but being able to understand when the le start your martin luther king gave me the great opportunity to be able to stand here today as one of the individuals that spoke before me to give me hope and hope for a dream that we all can be successful. the labor of love was invested in martin luther king, marcus

garvey. my husband was one of the first african american labor union president said. that was very instrumental in helping us to get our mr. king and he was earnest yoke them -- and he was --, one of the great african american leaders of the city. it is a privilege for me to have been able to assist in saving martin luther king because we were grandmother's, parents, raising grandchildren after raising our generation of children. i am also a foster parent of six lovely children that are also raised in that community. it was difficult times for us to come together when we knew that we were going to lose our homes.

we banded together to say that we were going to save it. carmen johnson, brooks, landry, never will happen. most of all, i want to think a supervisor, who had a heart before the community, a love for people. it takes more than just one to save a community. supervisor ross, i would like to thank you for being that person, that supervisor that you are. the love that you have not only for that community but the love that you have for every individual that you have served

through san francisco. [applause] >> good afternoon. i am ecstatic to be here. i am so proud to support the western addition in which i was raised, i grew up in the western addition, i raised four sons. marcus garvey gave a safe housing, a safe neighborhood for me to raise my son. i can come home and i knew they were safe. every parent in marcus garvey, what looked out for the children when we were gone. it is true that they say it

takes a village to raise our kids. i am so grateful to ross. i used to work with him and i always knew that he was going to go somewhere and he is still going somewhere. i worked at the d.a.'s office. when we called and told him our situation, he did not even hesitate. he got right back with us. he brought in pelosi, he brought in feinstein. it took endless fighting for the

reduction of criminal activities in our neighborhood, the neighborhood watch, the criminal watch, we have gone from place to place was shares and tables. we've run you out of the neighborhood. the one thing it took was that it took that big step of landry and stepped a long way from 1967 to where we are today. what it really took was leadership. i appreciate u.s. a portion.

when something is going on out there, he is out there. you will see him before you see the police. he is in our neighborhood taking care of us, asking us what we need, what can i do for you. not everyone will get a better bet that 3 in the morning but he does. we appreciate it. i think you and i think the supervisors for this recognition. [applause] i would like to give honor to the supervisors. a gesture the been a long battle.

the battle is not over. we have to continue to stay focused i would like to thank you, supervisor, because of what i made that call to you and told you that we were in trouble and that we need your help, i want to thank you for responding, moving quickly, and getting the mayor involved as well as setting up a task force of the supervisors. getting the speaker of the house involve, redevelopment agency. pulling together a team to work with us. we have had a lot of opposition but yet, opposition was coming from the outside as well as some of our shoulders. i sang god that we were able to persevere and move forward and to accomplish the goal that we needed to accomplish.

hud had vouchers ready to go to give each of us the units. the vouchers were ready, but if it was not for his leadership, if it was not for the leadership of the board, we would have vouchers just as other developments have had vouchers to move out of the city and county of san francisco. i would like to commend you for your people love. i want to commend you for your strength. stepping up to the plate and looking for those tough situations where you have to get into the trenches