>> thank you very much. [applause] >> you see what i'm saying? black history is every day. those photos right there is black history. ladies and gentlemen, one more round of applause for mayor london breed. [applause] >> i don't know about you, but i am more proud of my san francisco zip code on my driver his license right now, just saying, just saying, leadership is very important in a city, in a city that has many dimensions, many layers, many complications, and many attitudes, it is a task to take on san francisco, it is not an easy job, nobody here is

a like, and that is what we celebrate, but sometimes, conflicts do arise, and that is why we have the police department. without further ado, i would love to bring up our leader, chief william scott. [cheers and applause] >> good afternoon. so i have to follow through the hard way, then i have to follow the mayor, so it's going to be hard, first of all, i want to thank everybody for being here, and everybody who made this happen. this is the example of what can be done when we, the san francisco police department, work with the community and the business community to make things happen. because although this is the first, i guarantee you it will not be the last, and we are so proud. [applause] >> so,, so proud to celebrate the culture, the african-american culture here in

san francisco and in our country. like i always do, i use my favorite source of information, wikipedia, to look up and do a little bit of research on this topic, african-american history, and not only wikipedia, but there are a couple of stories around c.n.n. this morning, and it talked about the theme, the national theme of african-american history, which is migration, and what is meant by migration is migration of over 400 years ago, when the people of african heritage migrated from the continent of africa. many from ghana, this year, 2019, ghana is actually laying out the welcome mat, and they want people to visit ghana to really understand how this all started. ironically, as always, san francisco is way ahead of the curve, i want to point out

something the san francisco police department has been doing for a number of years, and i have to give all the credit to, i don't think jason johnson is here, but jj, and my predecessor , because we have been taking kids on this community and taking them back to ghana, troy dangerfield is in the room, he is one of the ones who spearheaded this trip, to connect with this migration for years. it is a life-changing event. that is what this is all about. this is about remembering, this is about remembering where we came from, this is about remembering the struggles, this is about remembering all the things that have made us and this country what it is today, and we need to celebrate that culture, and i'm so proud that we have a team in the san francisco police department, and a team of leaders led by mayor breed in this city that recognizes how important that is.

this will not be the last, thank you all for being here, and let's celebrate african-american month, san francisco style. [cheers and applause]. >> thank you. >> all right. i would like to call to the stage vallie brown, district five supervisor, making a difference. talk about a woman who represents. i don't know if you are familiar, but you should get familiar with vallie brown. carico. >> thank you, this is an amazing crowd. i have to say, i don't remember the last time i cried when i was listening to the negro national anthem. sister davis, you were crying

back there with me, so we are both crying back there because sarah, her sister, one of the people in the group, and i was choked up. i was -- thankfully mayor breed came up and i can get my head wrapped around what is happening here, which is this amazing celebration of black history month in the fillmore, in the fillmore heritage center. this is amazing. i just have to go back in time about 15 years ago. i was an activist, sister davis was an activist, mayor london breed was the e.d. at the african-american arts and cultural complex as an activist, and the three of us said, you know, there were difficult -- very difficult times in the fillmore, and a look around and i see adrienne, and reverend

brown, and reverend townsend, and other community groups that all said, the things that are happening is violence, and just the an absolute mess of a situation that everyone was dealing with, and a lot of people in the community were calling for the police to do something. the police should be doing something, you should be out there, you should be arresting, you should be doing this. it is does this amazing community activists and community people that are around here today said it can't just be the police, it is our community. we should be doing something, we should be here doing something. and i saw these strong women and men in this community raise up and say, we are going to be the answer. we will work with the police. we will have community policing, we will work with the city to bring job opportunities to the

district, and mental health services to the district. it will not just be enforcement. it can't be, that is not the way we will be a strong, healthy community. we will rise up and we will do it. amazingly, i'm still shocked today that mayor breed is mayor breed. [laughter] >> on the culture complex paradise to come over and she would be there working on a grant, working with some kids that were causing her to pull her hair out, she was saying these damn kids, but i'm still going to work with them, i have to get them going, and should be calling the office, because i was a legislative aide saying, i need some money, and i need it now, and here she is, she is the leader of this city. [cheers and applause] >> but she did not do it alone, this community helped her get there . this community helped raise her,

this community made sure that she did what she needed to do to understand the community, and when she was finished with college, she came back to this community because she wanted to give and that is what really drew me to her, and others, sister davis, reverend townsend, reverend brown, is they sacrificed a lot of their own lives to make sure other's lives were better, for me, coming from a native american community, that is what i knew. when my mom and grandmother died by the time i was 14, i had to have the community helped raise me, and i wasn't easy either, believe me, so that is another thing we have in common. we were both difficult children. so today, seeing this center open, and, as i've always said to the african-american community in the fillmore, is we need you to work together, we need you to come forward to the city and let us know what you mean. don't let the city tell you what

you need to, you tell us what you need and then we will go and get it for you and help you get it. so they did that with this center, the fillmore heritage center. they said, a look, s. open it, let us activate it, we are the community. look at this amazing event, everyone, this is a community that did this. thank you to the police department chief, because i know that all the different police departments and the other departments here see that. they see the rising, and so i'm really proud to be the district supervisor, thank you for everyone for coming, and happy black history month. [cheers and applause] >> thank you very much. supervisor, a huge shout out right now. you have a lot of players in the house. hello, rudy, fun fact, i have

known rudy since he was having meetings on portland at the bernal heights community center. look at you now. i'm so proud of you. supervisor david chiu is here as well. , sorry, i'm learning. supervisor walton is also here, hello. okay, where are the under 30 people at? clap your hand if you are under 30. a little louder, please. you're supposed to be loud. do you want places like this to stay open? it is your job. events like this, under 30, i'm talking to you, right here, right now, we talk about the ancestors, the people who came before us. we are the ones ahead of you. so we need your support.

we need people like danielle and big rich rich to come to the stage. [cheers and applause] >> to incubate events that keep doors open to places like this for you to express yourself. we had those opportunities, but the doors are closing so fast like this places like this open so we can celebrate history. not just today, but in 2025. we don't want to look back and say, you know, once upon a time, the fillmore heritage center existed. we want to still be there. i'm putting a call to action out to everybody here today, to put your money his, your ideas, your creations, your company his, think tanks, your networking events, your parties, your weddings, wouldn't this be a great place to get married? a birthday party, 50th birthday party, 18th birthday

party, there's a parking lot right across the street, i'm just saying. so that's how we circulate the money. let's keep events like this -- because this is a party, this could be your party next year. you could have your party here. turned up. [laughter] >> ladies and gentlemen, people that i am proud to call my friends, a power couple right here in the bay area, where are they, big rich and danielle. please, please come to the stage. [cheers and applause] >> for all that you do for us, for the kids, for the turn up. there they are. project level. look at this, you guys didn't know we were calling you, come on, come on, now. [cheers and applause]

>> hello. [laughter] >> thank you for having us, thank you to mr brown for including us in this process. we are very invested in this community. thank you mayor london breed for bringing us to the african-american arts and culture complex because if it wasn't for you, project level would not exist. we would not have put it together. [applause]. >> i used to do this for a living, standing on stages with microphones, but i don't like talking anymore, i like to let the kids talk for us, and let our work speaks speak for itself, without further ado, project level. [cheers and applause] >> are you already quota -- are

you all ready? [♪] [applause] [singing] [singing]

[singing] [singing] [singing] [singing]

contain --

[singing] [singing] >> i am 11 years old. >> i'm arian on joe anna. >> thank you, guys -- i marianna >> thank you guys. >> thank you, ladies.

[♪] [singing] [♪] ♪

[♪] [cheers and applause] [laughter]. >> ladies, okay, all rights, who are the coolest kids in the room okay, okay, give it up one more time for project level. [applause]. >> i have a very special shout out that the s.f. fire department department is here, especially the san francisco black firefighters. our president is also here. i just want to give a quick shout out. where did he go?

these lights, they will trachea -- they will trick you. okay, we will keep things going. officer rodney friesen is going to give us some great entertainment. [cheers and applause] >> thank you so much. >> we were just too colourful. brown and black. we joined up for fighting in the u.s.a., with the nation's garbage. we were sent to training camps, sent overseas, me and my brother , were happy as could be.

we were fighting, it wiped away the stain, there was hate, give us the right that are yours and mine. they told us america would know no black or white, so we marched , happy to fight. last night in a dream, my brother came to me, out of his grave, back from the acres of crosses in france, and said to me, brother, i hope you are making good and doing fine, because when i was living, i didn't have money, black boys couldn't work then anywhere like they can today, hard to find a job to offer decent pay.

now i know we've got plenty to do. we couldn't eat in restaurants, we didn't have any schools, and there were all sorts of bombs. to a color boy, rising in wealth , but now i know, that's not our situation. the world is made safe for democracy, and no longer do we know the dark misery of being held back, of having no chance, colored soldiers came home from france. didn't our government tell us things would be fine when we got through fighting over there and dying? now i know we blacks are just like any other, because that's when i died, isn't it, brother. his dark face smiled at me in the night.

it was cold and bitter, and somehow not right. shout mac -- [shouting] >> then i woke up from the dream it is a good thing all those black boys are lying dead over there, they can't see, they don't know. [applause] >> thank you. [applause] >> come on, take his picture,

put him on instagram, make him famous. because we need more brothers like you, my brother, my brother, that was incredible, incredible performance. yes, wow, officer rodney dress rodney freeman. remember that name, you saw him here. they are so great, we have to get does bring them back one more time. give it up for three the hard way. [applause] thank you for inviting us. >> thank you for having us. i just want to introduce three the hard way. we have michaela on the end, tray in the middle, my name is sarah. george epps on the key. [♪] >> put your hands together.

[♪] [singing] [♪]

[singing]

[singing] [singing] [singing]

[singing] [singing] [singing] [cheers and applause]

>> they are so good. three the hard way. [applause] >> is that your instagram? how do we tag you? what is your instagram? free the hard way. incredible, incredible. are you guys good? perfect. we are celebrating, making history in san francisco. and we have to give a shout out, because somebody is being shy. the captain of the northern station is here. being a shy guy over there. hello captain england. we are going to keep things moving right along. we can to events like this without sponsors, the people who invest and believe in our community, making the dollars worked, and not only for themselves, but also those that we call san francisco's very

finest right here at home. so i like to bring to the stage bomba of clark's. there we go. >> we are honored to join your celebration today. and i am a san franciscan, living in bernal heights. i went to school not too far from here, a few blocks away. i am so honored to be here, even more proud as a san franciscan. but when. brown, a wonderful civic partner to our company reached out to us to support this very first inaugural celebration by chief scott, we were more than happy to do so. thank you, chief scott for your support, but we also want to acknowledge and celebrate the many contributions of the african-american community to our nation, to the increased --

intricate fabric of san francisco, especially the fillmore district. we want to pay tribute to the african-american community leaders, not just those mentioned by mayor breed, with those who are still here, like reverend amos brown. [laughter] >> of course, mayor and an breed , cheryl davis, my fellow rights human -- my fellow human rights commission comrade, and a good friend, reverend arnold townsend his. thank you so much for your tireless advocacy on the behalf of the african-american community, and as the previous speaker mentioned, for the long-standing sacrifices on behalf of the community. chief scott, we salute you for having this event and a very beautiful, and most appropriate venue. you can always count on clark construction to support you on important occasions. we will have some future events and celebrations here with our company, so we look forward to

supporting this venue in the future. [applause]. >> thank you very much for having us here, for having me here, and it is a wonderful saturday to spend with you, so please enjoy the celebration. thank you very much. >> thank you very much. i have the pleasure of working with our next guest, at an event a couple of weeks ago. it was an opportunity for a job fair. people were hired on the spot. san francisco is hiring, despite what people might think, the city is hiring. we sat on the panel together with entertainers, and i didn't realize how good that is, it was a great event. thank you, mayor breed for working on that event for us. with someone here from alaska airlines, she is a public relations and community affairs director. >> thank you very much.

we are proud to be a sponsor of the celebration. thank you for having us, and also proud to be a partner, a very key partner with sfpd and mayor breed's office and where the first and last community to sponsor all programs. as part of that commitment, just as an explanation, my background is in community affairs, community relations, and public relations. i think many of you have seen alaskan airlines is growing in the bay area. you may have seen more of our airplanes and -- airplanes and signage, the key part is supporting the people in that community. i'm very personally invested in opening up pathways for career and education opportunities. i want to personally say that i am here as an ally, and advocate, and a partner of the san francisco bay area. my two girls, the 4-year-old right here, and my 2-year-old in the back sleeping, were born

here at mission bay, so i am personally dedicated for growing right here in the bay area. thank you so much for having us. [applause] >> okay. i would like to welcome back up to the stage -- chief william scott, supervisor vallie brown and the director to present the sfpd black history month awards. this year we are going to honor some incredible community leaders. these award winners have forever changed the lives of many people right here in san francisco. the sfpd black history amounts -- month award acknowledges these leaders and the contributions that continue to impact the lives on our daily basis. look at those. the first award, previously served as a san francisco

commissioner between 2011 and 2016. the executive director of a well-known community-based organization in the western edition and served on the sfpd fair and a community commission and currently executive director of the san francisco human rights commission, sister cheryl davis. [cheers and applause] >> come on, girl, you the winner. [applause]. >> the first ever awardee of the sfpd black history month award, rightfully so. [applause] >> think the people. [laughter]. >> thank you. >> yeah,.

>> he was in my ear sang brief remarks, please, brief. i would have worn better shoes if i was going to be on. i really don't know what to say. the police department has not always been a well-received and well loved in the fillmore, and i don't know if you are now, but i will just say that when the captain was at northern station, and i know tammy is here, the last few years, the work that we have done with the police department has been very interesting for me in the sense that we have seen the young people that are police-a versa, that aren't interested in the police, actually change their minds, and think about becoming police officers. [applause]

>> everyone has heard me say this before, i used to be a kindergarten teacher, and the use to be a saying that said everything i need to know about life i learned in kindergarten, and i feel very strongly that really, everything i need to learn about life i learned in the black church. my first poem that i ever had to learn, which is a poem that i think that takes me through life, is one by my angelo, it is one by maya angelou. if i am afraid it all, it is only in my dreams, i cannot walk the ocean floor and never have to breathe. life doesn't frighten me at all, not at all, not at all, life doesn't frighten me at all. i want to say that because of people in the church, and i feel like this communities the church, because of that, i don't have to be afraid.

we walk through together and do this work together. i thank you all for standing and working and moving together. [applause] >> thank you very much. the next awardee, a resident of this beautiful fillmore district for 45 years. he served as a government and community relations consultant, first vice president of the san francisco nw a -- naacp branch. please acknowledge your next awardee, reverend arnold townsend. [cheers and applause]

>> he told me brief, good luck with that. i am a preacher. this is what i do. and if you want me to be brief, don't give me a microphone. [laughter] >> no, i will be brief today, not tomorrow. let me just say, thank you so much for this. i am just so grateful, chief, that in my mind, thinking about the sfpd involved in putting together black history presentation, that says to me, we've come a long way. we have a ways to go. but you heard people talking about all the community leaders that got together some years ago, when it was rough in the fillmore. it was so rough in fillmore, one night i had on my shawn john sweatsuit, and that was in style

then, and my jordans, and i went to safeway one night, in one young fella says you look like a youngster, and i said in my head, i am not walking down the street with this on anymore, and because it was that bad, in our community, and along with the community folks that you heard talk about, and many of who weren't mentioned, and the department and the captain at that time, them succeeding. we were able to make some strides. one of the things that our mayor said when she was a supervisor hasn't credit for, and is the way the level of violence has gone down since she got there.

we don't talk about that because it's not important enough to enough people yet. it has to be important to enough people, because i know right now you hear people talk about fighting crime, but fighting crime always has to be tempered with justice, because unless it is, you won't get either, you won't get a reduction in crime, you will get justice unless they work together. it is important and essential that you be involved in this and i am grateful to you. he snuck up on me with this award to, and he only told me last night because he was scared i might not be here, which i might not have. i like to sleep. especially on saturdays. so he told me last night, and i owe you for this, and i don't mean that in a good way, because i will tell you, because i don't think that i ought to get an award for doing the right thing. i don't think you need to be

rewarded or awarded for making a difference, and trying to make up every corner of this planet that you occupy better when you leave then when you got here, because i am a firm believer that in our life, that we ought to live it in a way that you make a difference because your life ought to leave a mark and not a stain. thank you very much. [applause] >> incredible. >> go to his church tomorrow, he will be fired up, he got an award today. >> the next awardee grew up in bayview's hunter's points. that is what i am talking about. is a collective impact for three years, currently finishing up

her bachelor degree, where she is majoring in criminal justice. she is also the lead for collective impact workforce program, with hopes of starting the sfpd academy in 2020. she has a future, a future dean morgan tucker. [cheers and applause] >> where is morgan at? come on, come to the stage, award winner. >> first i want to thank whoever thought i was deserving of this award and i want to thank ms. miss davis, because if it wasn't for her, i probably wouldn't be in this room, for putting me at the table with such people as the chief of police, and the mayor. [applause]

i will finish my bachelor his, and hopefully i will be going over to the police department. if it wasn't for the program, i probably wouldn't even be doing that, and one of the people who push me -- just seeing people in this room that have been stable in my life, who have helped me be where i am today, i am thankful. [applause] >> he is known for his trademark activism, community leadership, i don't know why i am using a script for this guy. ladies and gentlemen, reverend dr amos brown. [applause] come and be loved.

yes, sir. surprise, surprise. all complaints should be sent to mr brown. we got surprised by him today. ladies and gentlemen, reverend dr amos brown. >> let me say this. i inexpressibly am surprised. i am highly honored to receive

this coveted award coming from our police department. you know, 1881, 21960, 1881-1960, there is a preacher who graced this planet earth, who was named sweet daddy grace. you youngsters don't know anything about sweet daddy grace but this one man fed millions of poor people, and african-americans up and down the eastern seaboard. housed them, clothed them, everybody training for them. and one day, a young, white reporter looked at him and said, sweet daddy, you never went to

college, you didn't go to the seminary, and i want to know how did you get all of these millions of people to follow you sweet daddy looked at them and said, boy, that is something i can simply answer by saying i just learned how to honor the gospel. he created a new word. and what i witness happening today is an expression of the tangibility nation of the progressive, liberal spirit of san francisco, and i want you to understand that it only becomes tangible because the late man, who now sleeps in heaven, our

late mayor edwin lee. he rolled into this town, this amount to my right, chief william scott. there is a new tangible expression. what the police department ought to be about, and must be about if san francisco is to indeed to be continuously honored as a world community that knows how to do things best. so thank you so much for letting me join with chief scott, and celebrating here this day the fact that we know how to bring police service to the community, in the best and noblest way. [♪] >> all rights. all recipients of the award please gather for a photo.

photo time. [applause] >> all right, the san francisco police department, black history award ceremony complete.

we just made black history. [applause] >> to all future leaders of san francisco, i'm talking to you, under 30 people. you too can be a recipient of this award next year. do me a favour, register to vote, please. please register to vote. if you know somebody who is turning 18 today, don't give them a birthday gift cannot just go register to vote. people don't understand that your vote creates the dollars that circulate in your community, so we half to vote, we have to vote. does everybody know who this man is? talk about a man with a dream and an idea. he understood there was a gap between san franciscans and black history month. we really didn't have a celebration, we didn't have a way to bring community together, but one day he woke up and said you know what, we are going to celebrate, and we will celebrate

in san francisco at the fillmore heritage center. the man of the hour, the brainchild, the reason why we are here today, the one and only derek brown. >> first and foremost, thank you, thank you, think thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone and this room today. when the chief and i thought about this opportunity, it wasn't just as he put it together. we had countless individuals that help support the cause. we had the command staff, we had alaska airlines, we had clark construction, we have project level, we have three the hard way, we had so many incredible individuals here today. brother clint, you made it happen. fifty-eight -- libations was

incredible. the director, she was extraordinary behind the scenes with logistics. let's give tiffany a hand with sfpd. [applause] >> and also, mrs. simmons, she did an incredible job. where is she at? let's give her hands a hand. thank you. also, our community engagement team, commander lazar, thank you so much for your support and generosity. give them a hand. captain phil, great job. we also have sergeant lee running around and making it happen. give him a hand. and to all of our department heads, all of our commissioners, all of the youth, everyone in this room, i truly want to thank you so much, and when we thought about putting this event together, we weren't sure about the crowd, we weren't sure if we

could fill the room, but if you look to your left and your right, we pretty much did it appear give yourself another hand for coming out. [applause] >> without further ado, after i spinach just finished speaking, we have a great prayer. we have tons of food. make sure you get some of that cuban chicken. we have littlejohn ice cream, delicious ice cream. make sure you get that. the list goes on and on and on. make sure you truly enjoy yourself. without further ado, i would like to bring up one of our awardees to deliver the close of prayer. so if i could have reverend dr amos brown. thank you. >> we invite you now to stand.

and as a universal expression of human goodness, s. -- let us, whether we are due, christian, muslim, followers of india, of the great and insightful wisdom of confucius. francisco. >> my name is fwlend hope i would say on at large-scale what

all passionate about is peace in the world. >> it never outdoor 0 me that note everyone will think that is a good i know to be a paefrt. >> one man said i'll upsetting the order of universe i want to do since a good idea not the order of universe but his offered of the universe but the ministry sgan in the room chairing sha harry and grew to be 5 we wanted to preach and teach and act god's love 40

years later i retired having been in the tenderloin most of that 7, 8, 9 some have god drew us into the someplace we became the network ministries for homeless women escaping prostitution if the months period before i performed memorial services store produced women that were murdered on the streets of san francisco so i went back to the board and said we say to do something the number one be a safe place for them to live while he worked on changing 4 months later we were given the building in january of 1998 we opened it as a safe house for women escaping prostitution i've seen those counselors women find their strength and their beauty and

their wisdom and come to be able to affirmative as the daughters of god and they accepted me and made me, be a part of the their lives. >> special things to the women that offered me a chance safe house will forever be a part of the who i've become and you made that possible life didn't get any better than that. >> who've would know this look of this girl grown up in atlanta will be working with produced women in san francisco part of the system that has abused and expedited and obtain identified and degraded women for century around the world and still do at the embody the spirits of women

that just know they deserve respect and intend to get it. >> i don't want to just so women younger women become a part of the the current system we need to change the system we don't need to go up the ladder we need to change the corporations we need more women like that and they're out there. >> we get have to get to help them. >>

>> good morning, please welcome san francisco gay men's chorus, performing "singing for our love ." [♪] ♪ we are peaceful loving people ♪ ♪ and we are singing,, singing for our love ♪ ♪ we are young and old together ♪ ♪ and we are singing, singing for our love ♪ [♪]