so, shes what the first. dr. metz was the second, think about this, second african-american female physician to be hired by kaiser northern california. and because of that, she has helped pave the way for many others to come after her. and i realize that even when she retired, she kept on going and going and going and getting involved with many, many different organizations to promote health and so forth. and, for instance, dr. metz was -- has worked closely with her church, pares to provide child training, [speaker not understood] to the congregation. and she goes on. she worked with students throughout san francisco

reaching out in particular to schools that have heavy population of african-american students to promote health and welfare to these students. and basically she is a person that will always continue to serve not only the african-american community, but all people of diverse cultures and so forth throughout san francisco. this is dr. metz. (applause) >> i'd like to thank you, supervisor yee, and the members of the board of supervisors. thank you for this special award. i'm very honored and i accept with great humility. actually, when supervisor yee called me a few weeks ago, i

asked him and myself, why am i being honored? a few days later i was thinking of calling you to possibly recommend someone else for the award. and then i happened to talk to a young friend who was very -- who is very involved in city administration, and whom i had not seen for a while. and he said to me, why shouldn't you tell your story? i have worked in our community through the years primarily through my job at kaiser permanente. i have also worked with the kaiser african-american health initiative which was formed to go out into the community to educate and promote healthy habits. the california transplant donor network also, i did many

seminars at churches to encourage donor -- donation of tissue and organses. and a lot of my work has been done through my organization, the the san francisco chapter of the links incorporated which is a national organization of women dedicated to friendship and giving service in the local community. and it was during my tenure as president that i collaborated all these groups together and we work primarily in the bayview hunters point area. whether my volunteering and community service has been professional or as a volunteer, i always strive to focus meeting people where they were and seeing them for who they were and not what they had or

where they came from. to listen to them and try to help as much as i could. many things have been mentioned about my accomplishments, but not who i am. my story is that of a little immigrant girl who was born in jamaica, west indies, came to the united states at the age of 9 to join her parents from whom she had been separated for four years from mom and eight years from dad. i arrived in nashville, tennessee with my oldest sister when my father was in his last year of medical school at maharan medical college from which he graduated at the age of 40, the second oldest in his class. but he was determined to become a physician. he was a pharmacist in jamaica,

but he never gave up his dream of becoming a physician. and i think as long as i can remember, i said, i wanted to become a physician. i can truly say that after coming to the united states to nashville, we lived happily ever after, not because it was smooth sailing. there were ups and downs, good times and hard times, but we were united. we were united once again as a family. what i have accomplished is not something that i sat down and plan out. i try live each day by the principleses that my parents taught me. believe in god, believe in yourself, believe in family, and strive for excellence in

all your endeavors. my father often repeating something he had learned as a lad in the jesuit school in kingston jamaica, [speaker not understood] which is translates for the greater glory of god. however, he would always say, do all things for the greater honor and glory of god. and with that in mind, you should never, and he quoted, go wrong. something else that my dad taught me just as he taught his medical students, interns and residents, was that you can achieve whatever you wish to achieve if you keep the three a's in mind. the three a's for my dad are

ability, availability, and adaptability. ability comes from preparation. academic, emotional, physical, and spiritual. he would also let us know that many have or develop the ability , but are not able -- are not available when needed and fail to adapt when necessary. i have passed this on to my children. and in addition to ability, availability, and adaptability, i have added a fourth "a" which is accountability. we must be accountable for what we do and what we say. i'd like to end by saying that by far, my greatest accomplishment and achievement

in life is raising my four children, my four wonderful children who have grown up to be sensitive and caring young adults with a strong sense of purpose and character. i think their lives truly exemplify the phrase, men and women for others. my oldest son leon benjamin metz iii is here, thank you, benjie, and a dear friend, joyce dixon. can you stand? (applause) >> again, i thank you for this wonderful honor, and i'm greatly humbled. (applause)

>> okay, thank you. the next presentation will come from supervisor scott wiener. (applause) >> thank you, supervisor cohen. today i am honoring brett andrews. so, brett, come on up. (applause) >> brett is and has been for a long time an important leader in the community, especially in providing services to those living with hiv/aids and

fighting against hiv/aids funding cuts which unfortunately we've had to do for a long time and though fights continue. for over 10 years brett has been the executive director of the positive resource center. it provides comprehensive benefit counseling and employment services for people living with or at risk for hiv/aids and those with mental illness. in san francisco it is estimated that more than half of the 20,000 people living with hiv/aids are unemployed. prc provides legal representation to help people wade through the difficulties of people obtaining state and federal benefits. and employment service program which provides vocational rehabilitation and job search services for people with hiv/aids or mental health disabilities. brett has a very long history of working for worthy causes even before prc. he was the executive director of the los angeles team

mentoring, inc., which offered mentoring to middle school students in some of our most challenging under served communities. and before that he was an executive director of kids and you, a new york based youth oriented nonprofit which administered a program for high school students and self-esteem program for homeless children. and today brett does so much more than the great work at prc. he is one of our most tenacious advocates in city hall. he is a vice president of the hiv/aids providers network, happen, with whom supervisor campos and i work regularly to ensure that we don't allow any cuts to hiv services, even backfilling federal hiv cuts. * he's a board member of the national working positive coalition. he's on the steering committee of the san francisco human services network and advocates for our nonprofit community in san francisco.

he's on the community advisory board of san francisco pride. he he has an incredible track record working for our community. brett, i am now very proud to honor you as part of our celebration. so, thank you for all your work. * (applause) >> thank you, supervisor wiener. i was really glad that you just decided to stop and not go on, that seemingly nonexhaustive list is exhausting. all is shows is that i'm old. supervisors, good afternoon. i just want to congratulate all of the recipients this year and in the past years. i want to pay particular acknowledgment to a former recipient, police commissioner julius turman who was a fierce attorney and an advocate for social justice and a long-standing leader in our community, a board member of positive resource center, and most importantly someone i am proud to call my friend. in my role as the executive

director of positive resource center and on behalf of the hiv/aids provider network, i want to thank you, supervisor wiener and supervisor campos, and all of the board for your leadership that you've demonstrated on the issues related to hiv and aids. i certainly want to acknowledge you for your ongoing commitment and thank you in advance for your receptivity as we engage in advocacy efforts to maven thaictionv our quality level of hiv care and prevention in our city. san francisco is leading the nation in reduced rates of hiv infection so to make sure we maintain that position. (applause) >> when i received the call from supervisor wiener, three things popped in my mind very quickly. one, i usually am making this call and giving the award so it felt a little uncomfortable. quickly, went into my mind my father adam smallman loving and cynical voice who would tell me, you're going to be 50 years old tomorrow or next year and just know that this is just a symbol that you're getting

older. and then my loving mother who would give him a look and certainly find everyone who she could to say how proud she was of me. and it's a great honor and it's a great privilege to have this acknowledgment today. while preparing for today, i took some time over the weekend to reflect on the importance of black history month, the significance of the struggles and the extraordinary contributions made by african americans over the years. i then focused on my life and i remembered the care and the support of my family, my friends, teachers, mentors, who always seemed to show up at just the right time. and when i thought about the full meaning of this wonderful recognition, i quickly found myself in a familiar place, my ever developing understanding of my wants and my needs. so, i asked myself the question, what do i want and need to convey to you all today? around this generous acknowledgment? * well, for my parents i want this award to represent a

perfect union in 1950 between a jewish woman from the north and an african-american man from the south who loved, married against the odds, and filled a home with unconditional love. i want this award to be an emblem and answer a question from so many that i got growing up on whether i was black enough, or whether i was white enough, and i'd like to say that i'm true barack obama would agree, some time the sum is greater than the parts. amidst the some time self-doubt that would overtake my mind, i want this award to december belie the inexplicable courage that somehow i summoned when i found myself to be the first or the only over the years of my education and career. i want this award to represent the pride that i have in being an openly gay african-american man. (applause) >> i also need this award to

serve as a bridge unites the two when issues arise that want to pivot against each other. when i look at this award on my wall, i want it to remind me that i followed my heart and i made the right choices and that when someone tells me that i'm doing god's work, that i won't assume they must be doing the devil's work, but they are just innocently extending a high compliment of great praise. i think we can all agree that wanting to be a powerful force for positive change is not relegated to a certain work force sector or job title or a set of responsibilities. it just takes someone with a little interest, courage, and concern for your fellow man. so, i accept this honor on behalf of the community of service providers, many represented here in this chamber, business professionals, public servants who commit themselves to making our community and this world a better place in which to live. not just for ourselves, but for those we'll never meet.

it is with pleasure that i receive this award in the great spirit that it's given and please know that i will use it as a source of inspiration for years to come. thank you very much. (applause) [laughter] (applause) >> okay, folks, hang in there, we're almost done. we've got supervisor david campos representing district 9. >> thank you very much, madam chair. it is my honor and privilege to

ask marco sinquar to come forward to the podium. (applause) >> it's great. one thing that's amazing about this ceremony, every year we do it, it's just incredible to see the level of achievement by every individual who is recognized here by my colleagues. it's really an honor to be able to live in san francisco and recognize such amazing excellence. it is my honor to now recognize marco sengor who is originally from senegal. he and i have a special connection, but i think it goes beyond the fact that we're immigrants, but just because of i know that marco really loves san francisco. and marco moved to san francisco like so many of us after falling in love with this city and i think that you fell in love with this city after a short vacation that was

supposed to be just a short stay in san francisco back in 1989. and he fell in love with the city and decided to stay. and marco's legendary entrepreneurship kicked off in high gear when he began running the famous mr. good ginger beverage company from his apartment in the mission district, which i proudly represent. you know, the interesting thing is that it was based on the ginger juice that he drank when he was growing up in senegal as a little boy. in 1996 marco opened up [speaker not understood] on 19th and mission which, of course, has become an institution in that neighborhoodv. it's really an important cultural and community resource. and if you go there just about every night, you'll see that it's full of people who are there to discover, to enjoy, to

celebrate the food, dance, and culture of senegal. marco, by the way, has a long history in his family of tremendous achievement. he is the nephew of leopold sengor not only the former but the first president of senegal. and as i was reading more about your family, i learned that your uncle, the first president of senegal, is regarded by many as one of the most important intellectuals of the entire african continent. and, in fact, was the first african elected to the french academy which is a pretty incredible achievement. marco is also the son of a famous ambassador lat hyacinth. he is a famous ambassador and poet in his own right. as many people know, he sat out as a deejay, music producer and is famous in the district for

his unwaivering belief that the power of the mission comes from a melting pot of cultures, an ability to embrace the new while pro steting and respecting the traditions of that neighborhood. i think it's only appropriate is that we honor someone like marco who represents the very best of our district and, you know, being an african-american who not only is looking out for the interest of the african-american community, but the interests of every single community. and marco, it is really an honor for me to say that i'm your district supervisor, and i appreciate not only what you have done, you know, for yourself and your family, but the fact that you continue to help others to make sure that your good fortune is passed on to other people. and what i would say on a very personal note from me is that

african-american history for me is very important because for those of us, not just people of color, but those of us who grew up in this country, the african-american experience is our experience in the sense that it really contributed to the well-being of so many communities. and as a person of color, i know that i owe a lot to the giants and the african-american community who not only fought for their own civil rights, but for the rights of all of us. and that's why this month is so important and it is my honor and privilege to honor marco sengor. [cheering and applauding] >> thank you so much, supervisor campos. you have been with me all these years when i've been here. i know it hasn't been easy. it's very important for me to have, of course, this achievement today, but when i close my eyes, i remember 15 years ago when i started in the mission, it was really, really

hard. the mission was tough. and it was a place for me that i finally fell in love right away because you reminded me a little bit of senegal where i was originally born. and my dad was from a "smallville"age called joel where the community always gather around the tree called baobab and i remember when i used to see my grandma and my dad, every time, every two weeks in the village i was having dreams thinking one day maybe i will go around the world and see myself over there behind the ocean. and, so, i'm very, very happy because, of course, when you're coming from a very important family and for me inside my hearty always wanted to know who am i really. this is one day when i turned 18, i said to my parents, i'm going to go far away because i need to know who is marco, not sengor, but marco. coming to murky found the mission district, my little hometown. i love it so much and it is so beautiful. and in the name of all my people in my community in

senegal because because it's not easy for all of them. not too many of us made it here, i have to say that. so, thank you so much for all what you've done for us. and, again, i hope we're going to do more and more in the mission district [speaker not understood]. and again, thank you to all of you, to my friend and family who are next to me behind, and hopefully we're going to do more for the city all together. thank you. [cheering and applauding]

[applauding] [cheering and applauding] >> all right. all right, ladies and gentlemen. it's actually my turn. i have the great and distinct pleasure to present to you a woman that goes by the name of anne de jesus. anne is a new member of our community. she moved into bayview about two years ago and she and her fearless partner clensey have rolled up their sleeves and have gotten together working left and right tirelessly on economic development issues, homeless issues, illegal dumping, organizing walks for pet parents. i'm telling you, friends, this woman has done it all. she's everywhere. every time i turn around, she's always over, not just the bayview community, but the

entire san francisco. i think i even seen her in oakland in a couple of events. [laughter] >> her reach is far and wide it and is' a privilege to be able to stand here to represent but also to stand as her friend. * it's i'd like to give her a couple moments to share with us a few of her thoughts. (applause) >> thank you so much, supervisors. talk about standing on the shoulders of giants and those who have gone before you. i feel so overwhelmed and so deeply moved by this great compliment being paid me. i feel so unworthy and undeserving of such a high honor and i really wanted to be able to accept this on behalf of my community, the bayview. so, that will make me feel okay if that's okay with everybody. i'm so proud to live in the bayview. this is a neighborhood of hidden gems. we invite you all to come along, come out and experience our great secret. along those lines i want to

tell you guys about bayview urban [speaker not understood] which is getting a lot of traction. so, [speaker not understood], and again, thank you so much for this honor. (applause) (applause) >> and last but not least, we have supervisor john avalos

representing district 11. (applause) >> we always save the best district for last, right? >> that's right. >> just joking. i know we all have the best districts. i want to call up mary lavalos to the podium, please. [cheering and applauding] >> it is my honor to provide a commendation for the work of mary lavalay. she is a student advisor at san francisco community school where she has spent many, many years bringing up young people, especially youth of color, black kids at the school. that's where my wife actually teaches. i have two kids who go to school there as well. so, mary has had to work with my kids which is above and beyond the call of duty. what's really special about mary is that all of the work

that she's done over the years is really about how to make sure that you are providing the space for young people to really learn about their worth, their value, and what they can provide for themselves and for their community. and i've been very inspired by mary's work over the years. i've known her for i think about 12 years. [speaker not understood] advocates when i was there. also with the san francisco organizing project and you are a part of the work that is done in the excelsior district about bringing forth the small school policy and the school for equity which is a great model school. your commitment to students is well beyond just where you worked. but you've got so much of yourself to teach young people incredible skills. some of the clubs you started, the choir at the school, and you performed here at city hall. and that's something that i had the pleasur