not involved in that building at all i'm not sure they maybe changing the code but nothing i'm aware of that came across any deck. >> by the way, the notification in the building code is a 10 day and the notification shall be delivered nolessly 10 dazed prior to the excavation i heard that will you 10 days per the building code. >> thank you. >> mr. sanchez. >> thank you scott sanchez planning department. the on the project architect did a thorough presentation this is added at the end the bulk with the planning code issues the project is code compliant and meets the residential design guidelines and the section 311 no discretionary review that's all i have to say thank you.

>> thank you. >> any public comment on this item? please step forward. >> >> good evening and welcome. >> i've not come before you, you want my name and i'm maria i live on 18 avenue and i represent a lot of the neighbors of this project we're concerned there is 10 bedrooms and only two parking spaces and we are already have a lot of parking on that street there is a church and ymca and also stores on the corner and this project around the building theatre and 42 units one point is higher than that and lower and not sufficient parking for

all the cars that will come into the neighborhood so see a building that will be higher than the other houses on the block the old rule used to be thirty feet now up to 40 the drawings of this one are higher and other neighborhoods we don't want to see another 10 foot clearance that impacts privacy of a lot of people and also pushed up the height of the building and also in front of that building is a huge sink hold it used to have to be filed regularly with a lot more vehicles up and down the street and our concern is the impact thought so many people perhaps coming into is a building that will have 10 bedrooms and only two parking spots plus the height of the building and the impact on the neighborhood like

i said thirty foot and now going up and up and it is sand thank you. >> any other public comment. >> okay seen we'll have rebuttal michael phelps we're worried about the lack of trusted on the part of permit holder my client for many months asked for copies of the plans that were being submitted only after the appeal was filed did we get anything what we got payroll was not approved we only saw the approved plans when we were submitted for the hearing there is funny business going on i don't want to rely on the promises of the permit holder i would ask that the board put some teeth into that and take what appears to be an agreement

and make that enforceable by specifying a company that was pointed out the site permit is basically the only appealable aspect the addendum one is not appealable this is our only shot to get the conditions imposed he respect mr. duffy but he's got a lot of projects going on i will submit we want to make sure to my client to make sure those things get enforced okay. >> anyway so we will ask again, the conditions either be encompassed by the board or alternatively that matter be continued to give the parties enough time to work out an agreement in writing in which case we ask the appeal will be withdrawn. >> just to clarify to dig this material you have to grout it

not a trick deal you can't dig in soil once you change the vertical elevation by shoring and if you go really at all put in under pine so it is in everyone's best interest to work with the project sponsor on developing a shoring plan and i think work working with the project sponsor in the building department the inspector duffy will be great and inquires a geotech to eliminate the trust and work with the building department particularly joe duffy. >> you said your client doesn't get the plans under the 311 artists the plans required. >> what was given to us was

not what was submitted to this board in its brief what was submitted was stamped 2015 the representative represented to us the plans she'd given us in early december after the plans were you issued were the most recent plans and there were no approved plans those statements are both false. >> let's clear up that item right now no approved plans until the addendum goes through appeal. >> i'm sorry, i meant file standing plans the files - >> we got that. >> no, no that's fine but this is our only shot - >> thank you counselor. >> mr. for man. >> i want to clear that up i'm shocked about trust issues if

you look at every e-mails they submitted and they submitted there were conversations about this we never got responses from mrs. chan so i'm surprised they're the ones saying we're the one side that are not to be trusted i think the site commissioner president honda you asked about the 311 they received overseeing drawings they absolutely received overseeing drawings they were sent out by the department address their address was on that so i find that again to be a strange statement in terms of plans we'll november submitted in any addendum mr. phelps makes it turn down u sound we're trying to conceal something as long as we had the draurlgz they were drafts not something we had already submitted and asked to have their engineer review it we

asked them over you know like of weeks in about numerous e-mails do you have any other questions does your engineer have questions we never got a response we've been directing i incredibly transparent and agree with mr. boskovich you know we need to sit down and say you know this is what we're going to do and those are the plans and you know again dbi has to review those plans we can't do something that will not be approved by dbi on a very regular basis tens of thousands of building in the sand and for instance, the building next door to the alexandra that was done with shoring no underpinning of the neighboring property and faces 9 properties and there was no grouting of the soil next door it was done with shoring so there are enormous ways to do it

i'm not saying one way or another but we had every intention and of course in everybody's best interest no one wants to look at this down the road i'll ask you not to suspend the permit that was done legally and i think mr. phelps thinks otherwise but i think we've demonstrated completely we'll do the best we can to make sure that there is no damage to the neighbor's house. >> mr. pearlman from the 311 notifications have they've been any changes from there. >> design changes no. >> thank you. >> anything further from the department. >> no. >> commissioners, the matter is submitted. >> before we enter perhaps

detailed discussions i'd like to clarify a couple of technical points one is the appellants brief miss matched the comments related to lift in terms of how you handle the phil of the site afterwards to what they were talking about in the excavation secondly, is our efforts should be geared towards the review of the overall project there is going to be some technical element that we'll interest have to depend on the department we have no idea of the structural aptitude in an analysis of what was there i'll leave that up to our structural engineers at the

building department to handle it kind of detail and thirdly, is that we've been getting a lot of these xaktdz and perhaps at the city will have to change their procedures in how they deal with those as an example i would think that the city would be - would want to make that a requirement that anybody who is excavating a certain amount has to provide a monitoring system in terms of elevation secondly, that the - there is a level of conservatism among the designers whenever you see their reports i

always put a well never mind i won't say that they'll be the most conservative and their emissions in terms of highest i'm - if they'll write you a letter in response to something it will list the most conservative approach possible not that it is not necessary in this particular instance i agree grouting is a good idea but neither here and there i'll leave that up to the department so if i look at that approach as any feelings on the technical side the other half of the presentation on the more of the planning side contextually and volume and parking those kinds of things i don't see this

project expand beyond the way i have to take this. >> i'd like add you don't know i don't think something tashgd to it either and. >> i completely concur anyone want to make a motion. >> you know it helps them to establish a working relationship yobd conditioning that they provide notice within two days of construction. >> does give 10 days. >> contemporary to the status it is 10 days your reducing to two. >> i think what - and we're giving them what they're asking for . >> if i'm understanding this correctly we want notice to be prepared for the work where 10 days is open could you someone

from the appellant side step forward as the department indicated 10 days is standard is there a specific reason you're requesting two days. >> this was an additional have someone scheduled to be out there. >> prior to the two days additional to the 10 days. >> i'm sorry, i should have. >> that's okay. >> i don't think that is a big deal i'm not sure i will get involved into this structural engineering i depend on the experts for the structural engineering. >> was there a motion there. >> actually two days didn't

make sense. >> they'll have a monitor. >> i thought telephone days. >> no two days before. >> another notice. >> basically a 10 days notifications already two days prior to the work consensus they want someone to monitor or whatever. >> i don't think i have an issue i will grant the appeal with the condition the approval on the basis that the appellant receive further notice to days before construction starts. >> the excavation or construction. >> the excavation. >> and to approve the project

on the basis that - >> identify had a case at the planning commission where commissioner said something like that and all of the other things were thrown button basket i want to make sure there is clarity the only thing that the appeal is uphold on is the to day. >> our conditions are the only things that get into there. >> thank you very much. >> so the motion from the vice president is to grant the appeal and uphold the permit on the condition the permit holder provide to the appellant notice to days before excavation begins on the basis the permit is code compliant commissioner lazarus

commissioner president honda commissioner wilson can you read that again. >> to grant the appeal and uphold the permit on the condition that the permit holder provide the appellate with notice two days prior to the notice of excavation on the basis the - it is code compliant and the building code didn't get superseded by the boarders rule will require a 10 day notice. >> sounds like ambiguous if the department is willing to have a friendly amendment addition to - >> the statutory notice. >> that's something. >> okay. so i'll recall the

position then the rule so to grant the appeal and uphold the permit on the condition the permit holder provide the appellant with notice two days before excavation starts in addition to the statutory notice on the basis the permit is code compliant from the vice president commissioner lazarus commissioner president honda commissioner wilson and commissioner swig. >> okay that motion passes with a vote of 5 to zero commissioner president honda there's no further business. >>

>> good morning. come on, you guys can do better than that. we are in san francisco. good morning. look at this incredible space we are in. just kidding hands for shame is that everyone. >>[applause] >> who brought this great state back to life. first off, i really want to thank all of the elected officials and department heads and community who are joining us. for me, with these turbulent times ahead, i tend to reflect. as someone who has worked on market street for over 15 years heads an organization that is owned property at six and market since 1990, and for the past four years has offices across the street on jones, i know firsthand how much the

market has changed. as the leader of community housing partnership, i have seen how mayor ed lee has committed himself personally to transforming midmarket. we have development booming,, locally serving small businesses dotting our streets and the tenderloin has benefited, too. with more investment on taylor and 11th worth corridor. our residents at six and market feels safer, enjoy their thriving neighborhood and are proud to be part of the diverse fabric of midmarket. but we are not done. by no means have we past the finish line. we still have a lot of hard work to do to continue this transformation of market street into the boulevard that chp residents know it can be. to benefit the long standing community, the

new technology sector, and all of san francisco. mayor ed lee will tackle is citywide priorities, homelessness, affordable housing, police reform, neighborhood stabilization, and defending our san francisco values with the same determination tenacity, and vision as he did midmarket. you know he always likes a challenge. he will protect our immigrants. he will ensure our healthcare continues and he will keep our cities vibrancy alive. we have a long way to go until we live up to our highest ideals for our city. in terms of how we work and 2m homelessness, create more affordable housing, and making san francisco a city we all can be proud of. whether you are a third-generation, a

middle income family wanting to stay in the city, were a newly arriving immigrants. i, like all of you, i'm looking forward to being part of that powerful change that will work together and collectively to create a more equitable see fran and to defend our values against all of those who do not support them or believe in them. it is now my honor to introduce mayor edwin lee. >>[applause] >>[cheerring] >>[applause] >> thank you, gail. thank you. thank you very much. thank you.

thank you. >>[applause] >> thank you. good morning. good morning board president london pating, our supervisors thank you for being here, our elected officials, our city staff. our fellow san franciscans. now more than ever i am grateful to be a san franciscans. in a city where we honor and love one another and stand up for each other. every year we gather to reflect on accomplishments of the year past and to set ambitious goals for the year ahead. but this year is different. because our city's success stands against a backdrop of a vastly different america. the election last year and the follow that continues has shaken our understanding of our country. while i am here

with you today to say, i am confident that san franciscans will lead the way for the entire nation. >>[applause] >> since november 8 our cities compassion, our heart, has been tested. people say that we live in our own world here in california and san francisco. well, this i have to say is just an alternative fact. >>[laughing] >> let me tell you about our america. our city. in our america, people are equal. no matter what race, religion, gender or sexual orientation. in our america we embrace our differences and understand that they make us stronger and more

vibrant. we are a sanctuary city now, tomorrow, forever. >>[applause] >> >>[cheerring] >>[applause] >> and we refuse, we refuse, to accept the status quo is the best we can do. we don't wish for affordable housing, we build it. we don't complain about health access, we

provide it. and we don't talk about protecting immigrants, we stand shoulder to shoulder with them. you know, the latest historian and san francisco made up kevin starr said that our state is the prism through which america sees its future. the republicans talk about american carnage. i say, come see san francisco. come experience our celebration of our diversity and our economic success. come see what the future of america looks like. >>[applause] >> now, it is time to fight back. guarantee that the progress we have gained in previous decades are not erased . to protect hard-fought victories for civil rights, women's rights, disabled rights, gay rights. and the

equality that her predecessors battled and bled for. and to continue the progress on the challenges we face in our city, homelessness, housing, quality of life, and police reform. look how far we have come already. when i took office unemployment was near 10%. our budget deficit reached well over half $1 billion. our pension and healthcare costs were unsustainable. fast forward to today and more than 140,000 people are working compared to 2010. unemployment, we just learned, this week, just dropped to 2.95%. >>[applause]

>> and market street, where we are today, had the highest vacancy rates in the city and housing sites sat undeveloped. today, we stand in the beautiful hibernia bank building celebrating a resurgence of san francisco's grand boulevard. dozens of new businesses arts organizations and large employers have brought new life to market street and the tenderloin. in this area, more than 2000 units of housing have been built in the past few years with more than 20% affordable. and every day we make progress towards a safer and a more vibrant market street. we certainly have not crossed the finish line but look how far we have come. when i took office san francisco was experiencing a housing crisis.

longtime san franciscans were struggling to afford homes due to the failure to build housing through the 90s and 2000 and a surge in economic growth that put upward pressure on housing prices. so we went to work. reinvesting in affordable housing at all levels from public housing to low income and middle class housing. we acted fast. in 2012 we secured a 1.3 billion-dollar housing trust fund and in 2015 a2 and intended billion-dollar affordable housing bond to build the housing our residents need. we pledged to create 30,000 new and rehabilitated housing units half, half of which would be affordable to low income and middle class families. and, we announced an

unprecedented new program to completely rehabilitate our public housing stock. well, today i'm proud to say we are on track and 13,813 units closer to meeting our goal of 30,000. >>[applause] >> these new units will save so many families from displacement and of this new housing, 42% is affordable to low income and middle class san franciscans. >>[applause] >> i am especially proud that in october we begin the second phase of two phases to rebuild and relocate public housing. as a child who grew up in public housing, this is personal to

me. 11,000 low income people will now living new and refurbished homes after decades of living in neglected property housing. and when the federal government failed us, i chose not to make excuses. we called together decision-makers, both locally and in the obama administration, to find an innovative solution and today thousands of our city's most low income families have beautiful new homes where they can deepen their roots and their children can blossom. >>[applause] >> we are now a national model for how other cities can improve public housing. years ago this was just a dream. today, it is a total transformation and to supervisors melia cohen and

pres. breed and every person in a department who worked hand in hand on this effort, i say, thank you. >>[applause] >> this is a true testament to what we can accomplish when we unite around the values push toward a common goal. we need to make these moments possible for more and more residents. people across the city are struggling to afford rent. homeownership feels completely unattainable. together we have a responsibility to take care of every working family struggling to keep their heads above water and a foothold in our city because a strong middle class is a strong city. >>[applause]

>> well, some of the most in capital ideas to build middle-class housing having met with strong opposition in years past and i hear the deserts and i commit to working through them because we have no other option. we must work harder to find common ground and focus on programs that we know will make the biggest difference is for our families. together we can incentivize the construction of new homes dedicated to middle-class families and create certainty within the process of building new housing. we already have some programs that work well. our small sites program, for example, where the city purchases and permanently preserves land controlled units has kept struggling families in the city. well, rené grannis who an artist who lives in the mission, was facing else at

either the eviction and because of the small sites program he will longer worries. thank you renée, for being here. >>[applause] >> i am excited to announce that we will grow this program and in the next three years we will give 240 more household like renée's a chance to remain in san francisco. >>[applause] >> and to help middle-class families buy homes we will extend the down payment assistance loan program. it will bridge it earlier and her family were able to buy a home in the sunset when the down payment robot was removed for them to renée, thank you for being here today. >>[applause] wi >> bridget, sorry. we are

building another 20,000 units along the bayfront, the southern bayfront. a third of which will be affordable including as much middle-class housing as possible. we all this production is having an impact and we are starting to see friends stabilize, even as they continue to surge elsewhere in california. the evidence is in. building more housing does help more people afford san francisco. >>[applause] >> and as we accelerate the building of more housing for our nurses, teachers, first responders, we cannot lose sight of our responsibility to care for our most vulnerable population. our homeless. until last summer our city did not

have a streamlined approach to homelessness. different city departments, each owned a part of the solution and despite their best efforts, the current system was not working. well, now, five months later the department of homelessness and supportive housing has helped thousands find safer healthier lives. since i took office my administration has helped 9 789 people out of homelessness. >>[applause] >> tonight we will be conducting our biannual homeless count when we are reminded that even as we resolve homelessness for thousands, there is a need to serve thousands more. we will not solve homelessness with a cookie-cutter approach like the programs of the past. our new and to end navigation system

built on the concept of navigation centers that i initiated in 2014 provides the individual support and resources to help the person off the street and into a situation best suited for their needs. a shelter. a navigation center. housing or back to a home with love once. we know that very few solutions are one size fits all. to successfully intervene, we need to understand the root cause of and individuals homelessness whether it be economic behavioral, medical. the navigation system allows the flexibility to do that by working with each individual to meet with they are. then we connect them directly to services, to treat the root causes of their homelessness.

next month we will open the third navigation center, thanks to the dogpatch community and supervisor cohen would've welcomed this with compassion and empathy. i am pleased many districts and supervisors are stepping it up to welcome homeless service sites in areas all across the city. we know the navigation center model is working and in the past two years it has helped more than 1100 people off the streets just like terry quinn, who is here with us today could thank you for being here, terry. >>[applause] >> to help thousands of more people just like terry today i'm pleased to announce the fourth and fifth navigation centers. hummingbird place and the south of market navigation center. >>[applause]

>> the fourth center, the hummingbird place, will be on the campus of zuckerberg san francisco general hospital and will exclusively serve people with mental health and addiction challenges. the fifth- >>[applause] >> the fifth center, the soma navigation center will be a triage resource it halfway off the streets for long-term people , homeless, and people leaving contaminants. thank you, google, for your generous support for this. >>[applause] >> you know, expanding navigation centers is not our only step. we are also creating, mentally new pathways

to move 320 formerly homeless people into stable housing through a partnership with housing authority. placements begin next month and by moving people up the housing ladder we create space in permanent supportive housing. we also have a population of people who time and time again have cycled through our system. picked up by the police. taken to the emergency room. held for a few days and released by back on our streets. these patients have nearly 4 visits per year to the psych emergency ward. well, this is not solving the issue ladies and gentlemen, but he does not address the root causes. it is our moral responsibility to do better and we will do better. people like tahani who is here today and her family who struggled with her mental ill-mentally ill brother for years worried about him day and night.. well to

laura's law program tahani's brother is getting out he needs to stay safe and recover and in this case the program literally saved a life. thank you tahani for being here. >>[applause] >> tahani's story proves laura's law works. so i say thank you supervisor mark farrell and the board for adopting its. >>[applause] >> we have now more than 100 families that we have helped since it began. well, now let us help hundreds of more people like tahani's brother. we must improve our considerate -conservatorship program. it is time to put the people first to treat underlying mental health challenges. the cycling has to

stop. i commit to putting the resources forward to provide people the intensive care they need and i hope the courts will match our commitment. this can't happen with our justice partners. our health department and all the courts, all working together on behalf of the patient. we know these collaborative courts work such as the behavioral health course and the drug courts which have been so successful. and we have to apply the same ingenuity and compassion to conservative ships with a 360° health assessment, better coordinating our health and legal systems. you know, decisions about treatment should include an individual's complete medical record and we want people on the most successful and least restrictive past to recovery. i

will forward a proposal to the courts to implement this partnership and i just abate spirited discussion in the weeks to come. as we improve our compassionate assistance for the mentally ill and drug dependent, we must also look at the impacts as having on our neighborhoods. we will meet this problem at its source, on the streets are city. and start-we'll double our medical respite capacity this year. more beds means more very sick people finding refuge from the street corner with direct access to the support they need. our goal must be to help people to reduce their use of dangerous and debilitating drugs. our street medicine teams are dispensing special medication that reduces the craving intravenous users

experience and in turn, reduces their usage. as i said earlier this month, i will continue to learn about the effectiveness of safe injection services. we must thoroughly assess whether the public health and safety benefits outweigh any negative impacts. >>[applause] >> well, we are now dealing with a public health hazard regarding the disposable needles and we are stepping up our efforts to get the syringes off our streets. >>[applause] >> the department of public health and public works will install new needle boxes in hot spots all around the city and we are seeing success at our 17 pit stops. these boxes were. drug users do in fact [inaudible] needles. we are

also increasing the number of trained cleanup workers to pick up needles that litter our streets and neighborhoods. you know, our neighborhoods are in fact the greatest source of pride in san francisco. we want the simple quality-of-life issues fixed and fixed quickly. from the street life that is out to the crosswalk that needs repainting to the tree that needs trimming, we respond to these requests to our new mayors fix it teams. meeting with neighbors and understanding needs that are unique to that neighborhood, we are working together fixing problems proactively and making our neighborhoods corridor cleaner, safer, better places to live. >>[applause] >> residence, residents such

as castro labored carolyn thomas who is here today, partner with a fixating to improve their neighborhood. thank you, carolyn. >>[applause] >> while the response has been amazing from our neighbors and small businesses, so we will quadruple our efforts at fixing 20 additional neighborhoods in 2017. >>[applause] >> a big thank you to mohammed and sandra zuniga and all the city partners work every day to fix our neighborhoods. >>[applause] >> however, you know our fix it work is just one part of keeping our neighbors and our neighborhoods safe and clean. a strong crime prevention plan and increase community policing are also keys to having neighborhoods we can call home. i want to thank our newest

supervisor jeff gee has already began to work on a neighborhood crime prevention plan which will complement the fix-it and homeless outreach efforts and the continued work of our dedicated police department. thank you, jeff. >>[applause] >> know, last year certainly challenged our city to be honest with ourselves about community policing relations. we always hope that we would be different and i believe we are. we recognize that reforms are needed and we invite it, the united states department of justice to complete a top to bottom review of our police department. safety and reform happens because of thousands of men and women in uniform in san francisco. well, to all sworn

law enforcement we appreciate you. i appreciate you. >>[applause] >> we put yourself in danger every day in the name of protecting our city. you are heroes and i think you. >>[applause] >> and to chief bill scott who is just days ago took his oath of office, welcome. >>[applause] >> i know, i know you will make san francisco police department and you make it into the model 21st century police department. we are completely committed to implementing all 272 of the reforms that were recommended by the united states department of justice.

we are well underway as new use of force trainings begin next week. >>[applause] >> but, you know reforms are more than just about new rules and tactics. it is having officers deeply committed to the neighborhoods that they serve. cops then know the heartbeat of diverse communities they protect. we have just hired 600 new officers and pushed the faces of our diverse communities represented. in the last three police academy classes, 56% of the new recruits are people of color. >>[applause] >> these recruits and officers come from the communities they serve and they strive every day to earn the trust and protect

the safety of those very communities. bike officers rodney and ronnie freeman who grew up in the sunnydale are here with us today could please, stand officers. >>[applause] >> this is the future of our police force. in the future is keeping the public safe in a manner that respects civil rights and the rights of all people placing the sanctity of life above all else and always, always, thinking de-escalation before force. >>[applause] >> well, it is also time that we move forward with full implementation of body cameras. it is time to adopt the policy

for the electronic control devices to give officers an option between a baton and a gun. >>[applause] >> chief, i know you and i have discussed this a lot and it will not be easy, but our responsibilities to achieve simultaneously reform as well as keep our city safe. i know you are up for the job and the city family welcomes you. well, these ladies and gentlemen, our challenges ahead. but we are in a strong position to stand up for ourselves. stand up for our neighbors. to stand up for our values. for the immigrant laborer try to support a family, the union janitor fighting to afford san francisco rent, the mentally ill who need a support system that works for them

could be hiv survivor who depends on healthcare. this is who we are fighting for. >>[applause] >> i know we may not see eye to eye on every issue and we must continue to have fierce debates, in a battle of ideas. constructive disagreements, and the consensus that we reach is what makes us so strong. but we also have the need to ask ourselves if division at home makes us more vulnerable to attacks from the outside. we need to consider whether the local fights we pick our for power or for policy. are we making budget decisions impulsively or strategically? in preparation for what could be very long four years. because in the end, we all believe in

the right to health care, the right to housing, the right to live your life free of oppression or bigotry. we will face challenges from those who do not share our views, challenges the likes of which none of us have witnessed in the last eight years. these challenges will test us. in order for us to meet these challenges we must be united. >>[applause] >> when looking back with a year just past week about the progress that has been made by working together instead of against each other. so i stand before you asking for all of you to stand with me together, so that we can move our city forward and continue to be the shining light for our country,

our america. >>[applause] >> because, if and when the federal cuts come, you will be united behind our promises and our values. ladies and gentlemen, we are ready. the state of our city is ready. we are ready to finish implement in solutions on housing, homelessness, and police reform. we are ready to defend ourselves against cynical attacks from washington dc. we are ready to stand up for what we believe in and we are ready to fight for those who need us. >>[cheerring] >>[applause]

>> ladies and gentlemen, we are san francisco. we are ready for what is to come. i say, thank you, to all of you. let's get ready. >>[applause] >> >> >> width greetings, friends.

width readings, friends. you look absolutely wonderful. thank you for joining us at the 2017 black history month kickoff celebration in this magnificent city hall rotunda. my name is all the worse camera on. chairperson of the black history month committee of the san francisco african-american

historical and cultural society. the committee members join me in welcoming you. we are honored to have such distinguished guests seated on the stage who will later be introduced by mr. alan williams, president of the african-american historical and cultural society. each year when we celebrate black history month, we adopt the national theme of the association for the study of african american life and history founded by the late dr. quarter jean woodson. father of black history week that later became black history month. this year, the national theme is, the crisis in black education. the executive summary found in your program

addresses the theme. we will follow the order of the program . now, rev. dr. amos c brown, civil rights leader and pastor of historic third baptist church will bring the invocation followed by mr. eldridge anthony, who will lead us-who is the conductor of the willie l brown wilson choir leading us in singing with every voice and sing, the negro national anthem. please, stand. thank you. >> let us now pause and give

acknowledgment to our maker. oh, unmoved mover, the source of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding, we pause in spite of whatever tom we might utter to speak of you. to acknowledge that our people perish because of a lack of knowledge and critical thinking.

but we thank you, god, that since those dark days of slavery sons and daughters of africa have always had a thirst for knowledge and wisdom. those slave masters forbade us to even read or write, but god, we thank you for the ingenuity and the strong will of our forebears who dug pits out in the brush harbors and put a talk over them and studied how to learn and read. god, we thank you that [inaudible] chris all established the first school in boston massachusetts.

we invoke the name of robert small who established the first compulsory common school in these united states of america for blacks, and we pray that we will have a sense of stick to it of this and we won't anybody stop us from learning and thinking for ourselves. so we been taught by regiment a large amaze, if you cannot think for yourself, somebody else will do your thinking for you and whoever does you are thinking for you we'll be your master. and you, their slave. thank you for this african-american historical and cultural society that is joined forces with our national observance in honor that we might keep alive our

faith in learning, keep alive our actions of making african-american history a day for every day and not just for one month in this nation. we pray this in our name in the father, and everybody says, amen.[

>>[music]

>>[music and singing by the crowd] >>[applause] >>[music]

>>[music and singing]

>>[applause] >> let's give the willie brown school choir another round of applause. >>[applause] >> thank you. my name is [inaudible] president of the african-american historical cultural society and i with my fellow board members [inaudible] executive director are both either join in welcoming you all to this 2017

annual black history month kickoff program. we have a number of every [inaudible] with the challenge of making introductions and recognizing all the important people in the room and not offending anybody can so with everybody in the room, please stand up. >>[laughing] no, that's all right. there are some particularly important people we do wish to acknowledge. i just want to start off to my left, by introducing luis herrera and michael lambert. louise is it [inaudible] assistant city librarian. >>[applause] we have also sheriff hennessey, vicki hennessy is with us. >>[applause] and a very special welcome to capt. scott the chief of police. give him a

big round of applause. >>[applause] we have superintendent of schools,, mr. lee with us. >>[applause] we have and in randolph from the community college board is also-how randolph - i'm sorry - >>[applause] we also have [inaudible] mr. collins is here with us. >>[applause] dj broker from southeast community college facility is with us. >>[applause] former mayor willie brown, mayor willie brown is here with us. >>[applause] pastor a really

us water. >>[applause] hamed vander department of public works is with us and a number of people we will come back and acknowledge that the program moves forward. [inaudible] as the chairman mentioned, the black history program is priceless in black education. when we look at the term, [inaudible] has a couple of different meetings. one, of course at the time of an intense difficulty, trouble and danger. another definition of crises is a time, a time when it is difficult or in an important decision must be made good so it's inherent in a crisis and opportunity as well as well as a problem. when we look at the issue of opportunity, when we look at [inaudible]. the definition of a problem. there is the

identifying a solution to the problem and the third piece of looking at a crisis, is then, taking action based on that solution that we arrive at. in order to take that action, you need three things. you need the resources to do it, you need to resolve to do it and you need the leadership to do it and we are very blessed today to have an incredibly strong and powerful leadership as represented here on this day us today that will lead us forward as we do with the implementation of action to deal with the crisis in education with that, i would like to ask supervisor am a president of the san francisco board of supervisors when integrated and supervisor lilia cohen and the newly elected board of education [inaudible] to come forward and offer a brief comments. >>[applause]

>> good afternoon everybody. i just also want to take this opportunity to acknowledge my colleagues who are here as well on the board of supervisors, my newest colleague sandy fewer. who represents district 1. >>[applause] and aisha safai who represents district 11. thank you both for being here today. thank you to our assessor recorder carmen chu and our treasure was a cisneros. in our chief of protocol, charlie schultz. thank you so much for joining us. >>[applause] you know, a couple of years ago one of the things that i made clear is that housing was definitely going to be at the top of one

of my priorities. more importantly, as we talked about the outmigration of african-americans, as we celebrate today, the kickoff of african-american history month here in the city and county of san francisco, i just want to take this opportunity to reflect on two very important things. last year supervisor cohen and i went out chart for neighborhood preference leathers account why is that so important we typically with affordable housing and access to affordable housing, it is very difficult to make sure that people from the african-american community and particularly the people i grew up here in san francisco have access to affordable housing when housing is built in our neighborhood. we got that legislation passed we took that fight all the way to washington dc into hud and because of the work that we did, because of the work that [inaudible] 12 was get in those applications >>[applause] instead of at the willie d kennedy apartments, instead of what we typically

see, maybe if we are lucky, three, maybe five african-americans, 38 of the 98 units went to african-americans that willie d kennedy apartments. thank you delta sigma theta. thank you mayor's office of housing, thank you mayor ed lee. >>[applause] but we are not done. we've got work to do. i want to also secondly acknowledge the fact that we've got work to do with the next generation. you know, education is wide a good education is why i'm standing here today as the president of the board of supervisors pushing legislation that helps our community. so, now, we have the next generation in these amazing young people who sang so beautifully for us today from the will he be-- i'm sorry - lewis brown junior school and thank you for coming here. we support you. we encourage you. we lift you up. thank you for those beautiful words. i come

along with supervisor cohen we are committed to continuing our fight here in san francisco, to push the policy that will continue to push us out. to make sure that there's a voice for the voiceless. we have a lot of work to do and why we will so great today, our history, our culture, our heritage, we know that there is a lot going on in our country. we know the days are challenging times but let's remember, this is not new to us. we have been here before and we prepared. the are paired for the fight, for freedom, for justice, for the things that we have fought for way back in the 60s. we are not afraid and we are going to continue to stand up and fight. thank you all so much for being here today to kick off this incredible month. >>[applause]

>> happy new year. no. happy black history month. >>[applause] this is incredible times. when my favorite times of the year where we get together, we come together and reflect on how much we have accomplished but more importantly, where we sit back and take note on the work we need to do in order to push forward. i want to recognize when of our newest school board members, deboned cooked. >>[applause] there's three key things i want to communicate with you today. first of all, the people palace, the city hall, in honor of black history month will be lit up in red, black and green. >>[applause] i also want to let you know that in the spirit of red, black, and green pan african pride, there are polls that are placed painted in bayview hunters point along third seed

by our very own dpw team. thank you mohammed nuru. signifying the cultural contributions that african americans and africans have made to this city. so when you are driving out third and you see those polls, just thought i'd knowledge and smile. you are being recognized. you are going down in history. >>[applause] my final piece of information that you must know and you must understand. district 10 has the largest city's public housing unit. last week, - excuse me - earlier this week, the mayor signed into legislation the rebuild of sunnydale and potrero hill. we are rebuilding public housing. >>[applause]

this is incredible good this is transformative. they said it could not be done could they said we cannot do sunnydale and potrero hill at the same time. i'm here to tell you that the mayor, pres. breed myself and my colleagues, we have got it done. this is the beginning of a new definition of what public housing is going to look like. we are taking care of those that need our assistance. were not leaving anyone behind. that has been our pledge to you and we are delivering and making good on that and i want you to know, that is why we are celebrating black history month out of the many accomplishments african-americans have made not just to the city, not to the state but to this entire country. ladies and gentlemen, i want you to celebrate enthusiastically and have pride. i also want you to run the pres. breed and i are having our annual black history celebration. february 23, right here in this rotunda. now, if you've been with us in the past you know you know we have to get under we will have food could be well entertainment we will have wine provided from the african cultural and

diaspora. be please come join us. thank you very much. >>[applause] >> i wish i could claim credit and say supervisor cohen and i planned her presentation way she would talk about the great accomplishments that are public housing is a set of to bring the mayor on but the fact is, i blew it and did ring the mayor up before the rest of them got up. be please join me in welcoming mayor ed lee to the podium. >>[applause] >> good afternoon everyone could welcome to the people's palace. the kickoff of an entire month of celebrating our black history. what a wonderful opportunity this is. and to have at the forefront the theme of education and we are going to hear from land and in a few

minutes, but i am excited for this city. because there is more to celebrate. you know, i saw former mayor willie brown just a minute ago. he broke that big ceiling being the mayor of san francisco. that was big to celebrate. and have a bridge and a choir named after him, that's pretty good. that's great to celebrate. >>[applause] well, we have more. we have not stopped. yet as our leaders of the present and the past keep reminding us, we've got to move forward with everyone. so it is that you should know we have not stopped in the great city of san francisco celebrating the talent and the leadership from our african-american community. you look at the fact, did you know that we have the first african-american city administrator in the history of san francisco right now good

>>[applause] naomi kelly. the first african-american to head the public utilities commission for the city and engineer -sounds irish but his name is harlan kelly and he is african-american. our public works director, the first african-american to head public works in the city of san francisco. >>[applause] derek brown, the head of our neighborhood services helping every single neighborhood in the city, thank you, derek for your leadership. >>[applause] it continues more and more that i also want to say, that i'm glad our new chief is here. he is what levels reach that sense of justice along with his partners like allen nance and

others for the juvenile justice because we have more work to do when it comes to justice. right, amos? more work to do and we will do that work. but we will do it as deliberately and proudly as we are rebuilding all of our property housing, as we are rebuilding neighborhoods. because we have an even greater leadership because, did you know, that we are also at a store moment when pres. lyndon breed has become the two-term president of the board of supervisors. that san francisco, is history. >>[applause] we are still making its. we are still doing it. were still doing it together. as a city and isaac community. i am so proud, not only of everybody in this room but all of the young kids that we look to take up our roles, be it the mayor, be the

supervisors, the heads of departments, be our police chief. we're doing our job now so that you can proudly come in and take your spot in the world. by the way, if we have a few billionaire ceos in the crowd, we would like that, too. we need more-we need more african-americans in our business communities stepping up, right? so we've got a lot of work to do but we are going along ways already with the people that we've got leading this effort. because no one in this administration were the board of supervisors is standing still. we are lifting people up. we are moving forward. we're getting rid of the barriers and we are not afraid of that guy in the white house. >>[applause] >>[cheerring] i don't know about you, i am sick and tired of worrying about trump can i want him to worry about what we are doing. >>[applause] this

is the way it should be. san francisco will lead this effort. we will do it with our african-american community. we will do it with the cornerstones of education, of transportation, of housing and most importantly, of equality. this is a city of e quality. we will always be a city of e quality. >>[applause] with that, let us kick off the celebration by blessing the leadership of our african cultural historical society leadership and now i williams, i know have known this guy for decades and he will work bitterly, without a desk to put the history books together the papers together,. he will never allow us to forget what our history is in our culture is in the city. al, step up. thank you very much for your leadership in keeping us apprised of our apprised of ourhistory. >>[applause]

>> thank you mr. mayor. and that, how williams as always talked about is simply representative of a lot of people who are members of the african-american historical and cultural society we certainly welcome all of you to become owners of the society as well and help keep this important work moving forward. before we ask shavonda walton president of the board of education to come for, i just want of knowledge a couple of other people. first of all, are all the commissioners and i can commissioners and board members, would you please stand members of the audience, mems of the commissions would you so we can acknowledge you as well. >>[applause] welcome, all and thank you for being here get, one, diane, get up. diane great. >>[applause] he also have with us today, [inaudible]

the new airport director along with jeff littlefield. his assistant mr. said carol and mr. littlefield from the san francisco airports. >>[applause] davon cook the new member of the board of education is with us as well. davon, welcome >>[applause] and joyce hicks is with the mayor's office of police accountability. ms. hicks, ms. joyce hicks, welcome, joyce. >>[applause] david chiu, and where is david? assemblyman david chiu is here as well. welcome, welcome all >>[applause] so with that we are going to move forward and i skipped javon will come forward and offer greetings as the new president of the board of education. >>[applause] >> good afternoon beautiful people. first giving out to the guys it is a pleasure always to have the opportunity to bat cleanup up here. but going

after our supervisors and our mayor it is exciting for me to get to say that regardless of what went on at the national level, regardless of what you see going on across the country, we are making history right here in san francisco. right now, we have seven elected black officials here in san francisco. >>[applause] yes, you can clap for that. >>[applause] several more if you got the democratic county central committee. as we talk about the crisis in black education, we can talk about the fact that san francisco is ready to fight and we've already taken the steps to make sure that our people are going to get what they deserve and that the quality of education you two black members of the board of education two black numbers of city college board of trustees, we are here and ready to fight. it's not just about elections. it's not just about elections. it's about the people who work every day and our community with our students and with our families to make sure that they get the opportunities that they deserve. so as we were to trump

bigotry as we look to trump hatred as we work to trump ignorance, as we were to trump all the ills of society, know that we are working hard together and i know that we have everyone in this audience, everyone here in the city on the same side. so thank you so much for being here today. >>[applause] lastly, i also want to honor and acknowledge our vice president of the board of education ido mendoza mcdonald. thank you so much for being here today. god bless you all. >>[applause] >> thank you president walton. now, it's that time to bring forward-i think before i get it wrong in the program again-the keynote speaker for today. in your program there's a profile on landon-and i will take the time to read that to you. you can do that for yourselves. but i would point out that we are really honored to have him here. so since he's hit the

ground he's been out and about in the committee work and a half the superdense to initiate and implement programs and activities that really speak to this issue of improving the quality of education for all of the people in san francisco public schools. he, himself, is a product of san francisco public schools and i'm sure has a wonderful message to present to us and with that i bring forward landon vicki. >>[applause] >> thank you. it's an honor to be here today. i would like to thank the san francisco african-american historical and cultural society for having me speak today. thank you mr. williams and ms. cameron for all you do to preserve and promote our heritage here in san francisco. it's increasingly needed an

important work. i would like to-another due account of shadows but i like to thank my family for being in the audience today taking some time off from work. i did to my fiancé, my mother and father who are here with us today. i also would just like to it knowledge, this is something i realized in the moment but i think it's a beautiful thing that poor black elected officials, as far as i can see, all are products of the san francisco unified school district. i would just like to honor and recognize that. the clapping i am a son of the san francisco. but before i get into my remarks, i would also like to send love and prayers to another son of san francisco, josiah lightfoot, whose light was taken too soon just a few weeks ago. my thoughts and prayers go to his family and the community celebrating his life today at his funeral memorial service. i am a son of san francisco. in fact, this very building has always had significance to me. it's the place my parents were

married, the location of my high school senior prom, and the place i will get married 10 months from now. thank you. >>[applause] but even more so, it's the seat of democracy in our city. my belief in democracy is inextricably tied to my commitment to education. as i see it, democracy in its summer storm is meant to be an ongoing debate good as john stuart mill wrote on liberty, if and to the competition of ideas. the stronger against the weaker, over and over again until finally you reach the world heavyweight championship muhamed ali versus sonny liston. i'm an educator and employee of the public school system because i want our students are black children, to be world-class fighters in the intellectual brain and the political arena, and at the table surrounded by the decision-makers in our country. by show of hands how many people have shown [inaudible]

you've got to see that movie. see it this month. for those that have seen it, you remember the scene when catherine johnson demands to be led into the room of the pentagon rethink or john glenn's orbit around the planet she speaks up when her white boss does not know the answer to that question to the shadow and the head of the national program [inaudible] kidnapped the recovery point for the shuttle. that's what i envision for our students. not just to sit at the table were to run the table. that is what our students are capable of. more importantly, i'm convinced it's what our country needs. we shoulder an incredible burden as black people. we do. we shoulder an incredible burden. in a land that we are brought to as prisoners, and a combination that we made the down payment on, we are also called upon to be the conscience, the moral compass, the north star of our country. ever since we started

[inaudible] grabbing books and newspapers that society was afraid to let us possess, that's exactly what we have done. from frederick douglass to marry my class to martin luther king jr., we've seized the tools of liberation, the pains of paper and the books and we have forced the arc of the universe towards justice. i want to tell you a bit about my black education in and talk about the current crisis. first of all education for black people and of black people will never be as simple as it is for other groups. we cannot talk about black education without understanding that racism was our nations first form of propaganda. it was the piece of propaganda that permitted us to be devalued as free labor because it suggested we were not the same type of life form as light white people. white supremacy went hand-in-hand with racism. like any good piece of propaganda, it permeated the multiple channels. arts, film, books, and the main training ground for american citizens. our public education system. so what does

that mean for black child in the school system? compared to the dominant culture are schooling is not just a matter of academic mastery. it's a matter of excelling academically while sheltering ourselves from messages that are transmitted through curriculum and textbooks, assessments and media that tell us we are less than an antimatter of navigating access to opportunities to where never designed to be just. my first triumphant [inaudible] were matter of accident i lived in a home with two parents graduated from college and on my father's side of the family, his father had gone to college and graduate school. dr. lloyd c dickey. did you know when i was

a kid other kids used to make more fun of my name? do you know that as an adult kids still make fun of my name? but i'm so proud of my name because he belongs to a man who attended texas college a historically black college and universities, went to dentistry school, moved to the bay area, bought a home through the g.i. bill and started a dental practice alongside called and be good one. yes, that's the building we are in in the fillmore. >>[applause] more importantly, the name belongs to move my father was my-my father was my rock who taught me to work hard to do better, be better and not make excuses. it's a name that belongs to my wonderful grandmother aunt uncles and cousins in the bay area. filler that's my middle name. i'm so proud of my middleman because it belonged to my grandmother moved from houston in the early 1960s. she rented a home in the bayview for my family the work at the post office, and ushered my mother through sfusd as a single parents. my mom went to elementary school and leo brown junior middle school now. she went to middle school and roosevelt and graduated from lowell high school. i credit my

mother and grandmother for the fire inside me and my willingness to be the first or only one of us in the room. they were respectively the first and second leaders i ever knew. my parents grew up in the bay area and most of the school system. that gave me access. they knew which schools a track record of success in preparing students for the next grade. my mom actually took my sister out of us as of date for the first month of house in kindergarten placing her private school and camp out at the district office until a spot opened up in her preferred school lakeshore elementary. my sister bestowed a gift that kept on giving to myself and my younger sister. sibling preference and westside school. now that i overcome when the biggest hurdles being in the right school was time to perform. i stumbled out the gate. alike in the member is meeting with my parents and teachers papers in front of me with a low numbers in red. talking in class [inaudible] in kindergarten being assigned the role of slave in games of slave

and master on the schoolyard. trying to sneak in front of the entire class not being able to get the words out. in kindergarten i was diagnosed with a speech impediment the severest stutter that [inaudible] i started the your fearless but ended the year defenseless. in first grade i buy next major triumph. access to the right person at the right time. this was an instance of special education services and individual education plans working for a child. the speech impediment i had developed gave me access to my first angel in the school system a patient speech coach met with me every week in first grade. i someone in my corner coaching me, keeping me ready for the next round of the fight. you know the cool and beautiful thing about academic success? if you get success. it creates more success but in the absence of success, setbacks

beget more setbacks and for that reason was a true blessing that i've received and intervention when i needed it. my entire mentality around school changed. i loved reading chapter books. i volunteered to read aloud in class and enact the team previously impossible for me. i started loving reading so much that i said to ashley bright light these authors great narratives that other people can enjoy as well. i don't want to give the impression that i completely coasted to the rest of school. i did not could i have other setbacks. but i always seem to have that angel in my corner when i needed him or her. that coach i needed to get off the ropes and back into the ring. at that time at sfusd i became an academic all-star the lifetime printed in the gifted and talented education in fourth grade progressing to the honest i can middle school and after eighth-grade was drawn in by the magnet that is lowell high school. the k-12 path i took was characterized by high expectations and rigorous coursework and the path was

buttressed by my support my parents, tutors, occasional teacher that went above and beyond for me. a byproduct of my past was the doing of navigating it alone. this loneliness always seemed one of the few black students in my class made perfect sense to me when i got to college and learn the concept of the achievement gap. this loneliness also may be especially eager to find black narratives and role models in school. as a fourth grader i remember reading a biography of: how i sought out in independent reading and i was transfixed by get i literally could not put it down. outside of my family he was one of the first black then i thought dreaming big and excelling and at that point i was a dreamer. still am,

actually. from k-12 navigator minefield for my identity. every image of: how were harriet taubman was outweighed by my representation in the curriculum usually as a nameless inbound human being. was outweighed by the slurs my classmates would sling and the jokes my peers would make about my family's income status and that of black people. it wasn't until i got to harvard and surround by nearly 800 other black minds and been told that the world was theirs that my own understanding of blackness [inaudible] that's when i realized our greatness is not exceptional. i realized the norm of our excellence has been hidden from us. >>[applause] so what does this mean for black education today? let me just say with respect to the national theme of the crisis of black education let's be very clear. there is no crisis of black genius. black genius is in our schools. black genius is sitting in the choir over there. i see it every day. i'm not special. i 4500 brothers and sisters in the district that are leaders on the campus leaders in the city, budding mathematicians, scientists and future doctors. we hope these young people get jobs graduate from high school and persistent

college. as we know some of them are here today's wired like to thank mission high school willie brown and any of our other schools here today. let's clap it up for our young people. >>[applause] the crisis you face as a community we have passively accepted a lie. that light is that the black child needs to be pitied. needs to be coddled, is dangerous, is not deserving doesn't belong. this light is allowed us to function on autopilot. we watch our children failed to console ourselves and say, we tried our best. that we have achieved as much as we can as fast as we can and maybe someone or some idea will come along that will save us and save our children. it is my belief that no one else is coming. we in this room and throughout our city will be the ones that fix what was broken for our children. >>[applause] we have proven

our ability to be revolutionary in the face of explicit discrimination. now we have to become revolutionary in the age of implicit discrimination in the age of the balance of institutions that are functioning but not working. which of the revolution look like? in my story i had access to protected k-12 pathway to college. it was rudimentary yet by schools and academic programs were fit together the put me on the doorstep of higher education. in san francisco we have to build a school expense for our black children that doesn't leave signing the right people at the right time up to chance. we have to build relationships between school staff and communities at elementary middle and high school that enable our children to move from one network of allies to another and be greeted by people who are ready for them and have already been preparing for them. we have to work more

intentionally to create a school culture that makes and protectors of our most precious asset, want to stay in the schools and befuddled by staying. we can do this, if we can build this team of guardian angels within and across our schools, then we will shift from a sense of overwhelming crisis to a state of fierce urgency. we will not be content with deandre not completing his reading psalms or [inaudible] addresses reading the market we will tackle it today. i parents and grand parents grew up and an era where learning was contracted by any means necessary. we can revive that era in our schools and we can do it in any neighborhood in san francisco. >>[applause] we have to shift from a sense of crisis to a state of urgency. we have to celebrate the children. we have to celebrate the interest of our children. we have to do that with the urgency that we move to protect a flickering flame. when you see a flickering flame you instinctively rushed protected from the wind to add more candling to help it grow. our black children deserve the

same bounding around their interest. thank god, my teacher encouraged michael powell biography project. thank god, encouraged my creative stores. think documenting curse my public speaking. thank god they encourage me to stay in geometry, one for student government, apply and attend harvard. do not leave the light. heavy black child has an academic spark. fan the flame. >>[applause] we have to bring our black families into the classroom. we have to provide the parents guardians and caregivers of our children with as much information and knowledge as my parents had. we have to recognize them for who they are. the most invested in steadfast advocates for the children in our community. i've seen boundless love in our black families parents here in san francisco boundless care and believe in their children. we have to partner with a black families. when they're frustrated with us as educators, most of the time rightfully so, we can turn away from them. that's the time to bring them closer and work with them to deliver for our

children. our families do we include the fathers and mothers and the rev. ounce of virginia marshals the emily way thompson's diana grace cheryl davidson's and john marshals and so many more. finally, as black people we have to remain competitors. but with this challenge to myself as well. we have to work extra hard to hold fast to the police in her own greatness. we have to strive to be the best. not to get by and survive but to thrive. the souls of black folks wbe devoid boat and perfect about his experience in grade school, it dawned upon me with a certain seven is that i was different from the others. shut out from the world by [inaudible] i had their no desire to tear down that failed to creep through. i hope all beyond [inaudible] and with above in a region of blue sky and great wandering shadow get that sky was blue when i could [inaudible] at examination time. the boys knew

we can compete in the classroom and we can win. we need to tell that to our children every day. [inaudible] belongs in the classroom yes, you do know the answer to that question is yes, your opinions and ideas are valid. thank you again for having me today. black excellence is the truth that we belong in the ring and we can win in the first round. >>[applause] >> as the choir comes forward, let's also give a round of applause to landon mitchell his mother and father in the first row. mr. and mrs. vicki get let's give them a round of applause. >>[applause]

>>[applause] >>[music] >> >>[music]>>[applause]

>> fantastic. fantastic. we're just about done. [inaudible] if you look in your programs, first of all, save the dates, there's two key events going on [inaudible] at the african-american cultural heritage society for educators. [inaudible]