public speakers. >> madame president, mr. superintended, members of the board, to the member of our

honorees face committees -- to the member of our honoree's faith community, to all san franciscans that know how to do the right thing, i wish to start by saying that this evening b espakes -- bespeakes a new vision for the sons and

daughters of africa. in years past, some things happened. there were perpetrators against descendants of africa. i thought about those things. when i walked into this room and i saw the slogan that says "diversity means." for us tonight, not only do we honor a great hero who is deserving of this honor that is being bestowed upon her, they've

changed the name of the school. as we honor heard, we are honoring ourselves. we are writing a historical wrong. it was thought that being different carried with it this did not of being deficient. -- carried with it the stigma of

being deficient. they carried with them the color of their skin, something that they got from their creator. they carried with them the notion that they were deficient. when he settled that town, a germantown in 1843, he made sure that the first act of business on his part would be to issue an ordinance that no black person would be caught in that hamlet and if they were found there, they would be beaten every six months until they left town. when he came down to california in 1849 following the discovery of gold, he did not leave that madness in oregon territory. when he of all to become the first governor of this state,

again his first act of business was to pick on black people because they were different. he led to the enactment of the strongest anti fugitive slave law. his legacy impacted the minds of the citizenry of this date and this nation that we move to enact a chinese exclusion act prohibiting chinese people from emigrating to this nation. and he would not stop. he kept on being mean. he issued public statements that the native americans should be exterminated from this state

and from this nation. now, my friends, as a gospel preacher, i would have to embrace the notion that human nature can be changed. people do change. hugo black was once a member of the ku klux klan, he got religion and he changed. when he changed, he was considered to sit on the high court of this nation. he never according to a history changed his mind -- peter burnett, according to history, never changed his mind about black folk, chinese people. therefore, it appears to me that we are doing the right thing since he would not changed his mind, we have changed the name

of the school to be -- to the leola havard early education school. [applause] i hope that this symbolic and substantive change will sell impact the minds of all of us that we will make sure that in the city of st. francis, in this school district, we will never embrace the notion that a diversity means deficiency. but every child would be welcome here, every parent would be embraced and every person will be considered a person of dignity, with voice -- with poise and we will respect them

as we respect ourselves. thank you for sharing the buildings committee. thank you, mr. superintendent. when i was in that hospital, upon reading about this name, when i called you, you said to me, reverend brown, i think we need to change that name. thank you, madam president of this board. you embrace the notion and i got the feeling that if anyone got a notion for an idea not to vote for this resolution tonight after hearing what i said about peter burnett, you will change your 9 -- your mind and a vote unanimously.

[applause] let us continue to change for the right so that they will come -- so that the day will come when everyone in this school district that we are delivered a nation when no one will have to apologize for where they came from or who they are. they will say that refrain, i am black and i am proud, i am brown and i am sound, i am yellow and i am mello, i am read but i am not dead, i am gay and i am gorgeous. i am god style that i am somebody. -- i am god's child, and i am

somebody. [applause] >> now you know why i asked reverend ground to start off. -- brown to start off. >> president, superintendent garcia, members of the community. i am a proud niece of mrs. leola havard. thank you for giving me the opportunity to address this historic resolution.

having been a teacher and administrator, i am keenly aware that the decision to change the name of the building is a serious matter. on behalf of our family, thank you for your consideration in this important endeavor. leola havard is an important trailblazer. as an exemplary principal, she set the bar of excellence and a clear vision of what achievement can be for all students. i had an opportunity to hang around john muir a lot. she was a masterful teacher, a leader of leaders, and a principled principle. always model in the way for others, challenging others to do

the best work. today, as we struggled through the issues such as special education and dropout rates, i believe that we should look into leola havard's tenure of john muir school, and there we would find the answers of how students of all backgrounds would achieve high-level spent so i stand on the shoulder of leola havard. an experience that have is because she paved the way for me. in closing, i believe that my aunt was driven and determined to provide teachers and

students with what they could do. these are all our children. we will all profit by or pay for what they become. she worked hard every day to ensure that society would profit from the students who passed through the doors of john muir school. i thank you that you will recognize her work this evening and recognize the many students and parents and teachers who were so influenced by her hard work. thank you. >> thank you. >> it is our honored to have her

as an agitator. -- an educator. she expects all students to learn at a high level. she provides the proper support and encouragement for them. she sets high standards for herself and for her teachers. i am very proud to say these words. i urge you to approve this resolution. thank you. >> good evening, everyone? -- everyone. i am a former educator in the san francisco school district. i am just excited and elated to have the opportunity to come

before you at this momentous occasion. first and foremost, we want to say that we love leola havard. i am also a member of the national surety of -- i would like all of the sorority members to stand. do you see the ladies and read? they represent the warmth and beauty of leola havard. we're happy to be here on this occasion to renaming -- on the occasion of the renaming of burn at school. --on the occasion of renaming burnett school. i will yield to another wonderful sold. all of these individuals work or

have worked in the san francisco unified school district and we have all benefited from the leadership of leola havard. >> supervisor garcia and hon. commissioners, i come here tonight to say thank you. we are so happy that you found it possible to honor someone who so richly deserves it pentagon -- deserves it. leola havard is a very small person but a boy is shi'a giant. -- but boy is she a giant. we got where we are because we were able to stand on this lady's shoulders. she was a trailblazer. that includes me as well.

it is because of this little woman. we found our way. no one could tell us no. she had made the way already. >> good evening, everyone. i am most honored to be able to say a few words on behalf of the supporting of the renaming of burnett child development center tuesday leola havard -- to the leola havard early childhood

education school. this is an astounding woman. she is very personable. she worked for the department of treasury. she worked extremely good in that department. she was going to take maternity leave. she told me that i had to go on. she trained that sheikh -- as she did earlier, to become a high school teacher. she came back to the district in 1949 and applied for a tradition.

there were a number of teachers and the district who were long term teachers. she became an assistant principal and thereafter. she became the first african- american female administrator in the district of san francisco unified school district of which we are all very proud. this woman who is also a mentor to many people, she supported

me very highly. leola havard is a giant in the field of education. she has not stopped from that day. board members, i say to you. take a strong look at what we did. this forerunner of the african- american administrators and see in your heart and do the right thing. please vote for the changing of the name. thank you. [applause] >> good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

my name is dennis kelly and i am president of the united educators of san francisco. it is a great honor to come and endorse this resolution. i guess that we are fortunate that the reverend brown got sick. he did the reading that he did it for his recuperation and he came up with this idea. this is something significant, something wonderful for the entire district. i think this is a very important thing for us to do. not only in this instance but going forward. thank you very much for putting this forward. you know how important it is. thank you.

[applause] >> good evening, board members. i am the pastor of the first baptist episcopal zion church in san francisco. >> you have two minutes. >> two black preachers, in two equal seven.

it was once prayed, oh, lord, make us masters of ourselves. everyone in this room are all at a higher risk of suffering and existential meltdown. where the idea of existence and it being a conflict with the person we see in the mirror every day. -- where the idea of existence and being conflicts with the person we see in the mayor. mrs. havard, i have been watching you all evening. there is something in your countenance.

i suffer meltdowns every time. there is something upon your brow, a quiet dignity. there is something about your elegance. there is something about your voice that is speaking right now, though tonight you have not said one word. some where in your journey to have lasted yourself enough. your what speaks more than mere talk. [applause] somehow you have found a way to do what all of us are striving to do, to master ourselves just enoughthat we can give of ourseo humanity. it was thurgood marshall the once said that we pay ourselves

the highest tribute. tonight, we don't have anything to give you but the honor that is due to your name. you have worked hard for it -- [beep] is that the offering bell? you have earned it. in the words of someone, i have tended and owed. it has turned to a sonnet. as i stared at you, i fell in love with you even more. it is our prayer that we will continue the fight that you started for education for all children so long ago. thank you, and we love you. [applause]

>> i am president of the african american democratic club. i want to congratulate you on demonstrating the political will to renaming this building to someone who did so much to help people. political will can be used to address issues. 60% of students who were prescribed ritalin have one problem. they are hungry. education, delivering quality education is all our responsibility. the community are elected you to lead, so please lead. [applause] >> good evening, members of the board and members of the community. i am a member of the san

francisco chapter of delta sigma beta sorority. i would like to ask several members of the sorority who are here in support havre honoring the renaming. please stand. [applause] thank you very much. live been focused on economic improvement and development for many years. our sorority has been in existence where it was founded over 60 years ago. we are here at the special time. we would like to just say to the members of the board that we

really think you for supporting and the resolution. thank you very much. >> hello, board members. i want to take everybody back to 1966, which for some people was kind of hard because they were not born yet. a brand new teacher, 22 years old, i went to join your school. in 1966, we know what was going on in our country. the civil rights school was in chaos. the parents were upset, education was not going on in that school. we had three principles, there

was a bomb in the cafeteria, there was a boycott. in 1968, this little tiny woman came in. this was given a brand new staff. over 600 children. the sixth grades were in an annex. and the community was up in arms. in the decade that she was there, the school rose to be a school that we could all be proud of. and i think back now to why. it was exactly right that educators today could look back at what happened during the decade