>> well, emancipation day. happy black independence day. happy juneteenth day. [applause] happy national independence day by joe biden. but my favorite is -- happy freedom day. [applause] bear with me -- happy freedom

day. oh, y'all kind are slow and poor on that. i'm going to try it again -- happy freedom day! >> happy freedom day! >> that's right, that's right, all power to the people. my name is felicia jones and i'm the founder of wealth and disparities in the black community and i'm speaking as the host for this special event. mayor london nicole breed, first juneteenth celebration kickoff. [applause] i am also sharing this position with someone else and she never likes to be on front street unless she's interviewing somebody and that is director dr. cheryl evans davis. [applause] and so with the mishaps that are going on right now, we are going to go ahead and get started.

the mayor will be coming down and so one of the things that i'm not going to do is a whole lot of talking. so does everyone have a program? if you don't have a program, raise your hand. okay, all right, my sister is outside. let's get some programs for everyone. and so what we're going to do right now -- we're going to start with the libations and the guys are going to come up and they're going to introduce themselves. and so the drummer is going to play softly behind for the libation and these are the mega black men and they're going to introduce themselves and then after that we're going to is

singing sarah to give us the negro national anthem. and so -- and i'll come back after sangin sarah lets you guys have it in the real way. thank you. (♪♪) (♪♪)

>> all right, all right, good afternoon. my name is ménard reneau, president of invest black and the executive director of youth first and we'll go through the libation and we'll bring up to my right maurice rivers and nate forward. >> the libation is our connection to the past and our roadmap to a better future. the purpose of the libation is to remember and honor those who walked and worked before us, and thus paved the path which we now walk. we pour in the direction of the four winds -- north, south, east and west.

for africa, our motherland, and all others unknown and known who defended our ancestral lands and history, we pour. (♪♪) >> for our ancestors who have struggled for our freedom and all others who have dared to define, defend and develop our interests as a people -- >> we pour. (♪♪) >> for our elders who have helped to give us wisdom and strength. for our mothers and fathers who have been from the valley of departed, we ask you for someone who was dearly departed --

marcus, saliah -- >> we pour. >> we pour. (♪♪) >> for the youth who represent the future of tomorrow, we pour. >> pour. (♪♪) >> for remembrance of the many women, men and the human rights struggle -- >> we pour. >> for the new world we struggle to build -- >> we pour. >> for the principals as our guides in and out of every day life -- >> we pour. >> for our almighty creator who makes all things possible -- >> we pour. >> we're going to do one more we pour and we need everyone to

join in with us together. >> we pour. >> we pour. >> i'm going to turn over the program to ms. phylicia, thank you for coming out. [applause] >> can we all stand for the singing of the negro national anthem. >> lift every voice ♪ ♪ and sing ♪ ♪ till earth and heaven ring ♪ ♪ ring with the harmonies ♪ ♪ of liberty ♪ ♪ let our rejoicing rise ♪

♪ high as the listening skies ♪ ♪ let it resound ♪ ♪ loud as the rolling sea ♪ ♪ sing a song ♪ ♪ full of the faith ♪ robber ♪ that the dark past has taught us ♪ sing a song ♪ ♪ full of the hope ♪ ♪ that the present ♪ ♪ has brought us ♪ ♪ facing the rising sun ♪ ♪ of our new day begun ♪ ♪ let us march on ♪ ♪ till victory is won ♪

first three if you know it -- ♪ god of our weary years ♪ ♪ god of our silent tears ♪ ♪ thou who has brought us thus ♪ ♪ far on the way ♪ ♪ thou who has by ♪ ♪ thy might ♪ ♪ led us into the light ♪ ♪ keep us forever ♪ ♪ in the path ♪ ♪ we pray ♪ ♪ lest our feet stray ♪ ♪ from the places ♪ ♪ our god ♪

♪ we we met thee ♪ ♪ lest our hearts ♪ ♪ drunk with the wine ♪ ♪ of the world ♪ ♪ we forget thee ♪ ♪ shadowed beneath thy hand ♪ ♪ may we forever stand ♪ ♪ true to our god ♪ ♪ true to our native land ♪ [applause] yes, that's why she's known as singing sarah.

give her another round of applause. [applause] so as we await for our mayor, you know, she's handling big city business right now. so, that's fine. we're going to bring up our motivational speaker, and he is a mentor of mine. he's from -- i believe -- am i pronouncing it correctly, etow, alabama, lord have mercy, where is that at? etow, alabama. he has a doctorate degree. he has been around san francisco for many years and doing lots of different things. he has his own business. he wanted me to read his biography but it was like three pages and i said, dr. canton, i'm not ready to do that. so here he is, dr. joe canton. [applause]

>> where that person stands and give me permission. [indiscernible] thank you, dr. . i'm going to lay down the speech with you. it's swahili for those study whose study the language and it means what is the news. aboragoni. and, of course, my christian friends, hallelujah. praise god.

my talk today, i want -- i wanted to give it a different twist. you didn't want to hear the strict dates and times. and so i gave it a great illusion of emancipation without reparation. and our quest for freedom continues. let us imagine, if it is possible, how the slaves in texas received the news of their emancipation on that day june 19th, 1865. with the jubilation of the officials in washington when president joe biden signed into law, making juneteenth a federal holiday, june 17th, 2021.

now, it is fitting that i be the person to speak to you from the heart of dixie. i come to you from alabama, tus mutual alabama. my grandmother, i give praise to, grandma lucy, for i knew that she was born in 1863 and died in 1963. my mother, who was a housekeeper, so when i saw it, i said, my goodness they didn't tell the whole story. i didn't think they would know this story because you have to live with the people of whom i come from. a share cropper -- it's amazing

what my grandmother taught me about this number one strength of women. she showed me what -- without schooling, if you will, she was able to plant, sow, reap and harvest. she showed me what hard work really is. sometimes i hear folks complaining about hard work. i think that you need to try to farm sometime. and i want you to know that know i was so glad -- when we left the farm i was the first one on the truck. i still remember it. and then i proceeded that you need to know that i was pre-rosa parks. pre-rosa parking. parks. you are looking at a person who knows what it's like to sit on the back of the bus, if you had the money. i know what it's like to go to a segregated school. i represent druit high school,

one of the great schools in tus tusaloosa, alabama. and people say why do you embrace your past so much? i embrace it because i'm what the past looks like. i am the results of my ancestors who gave only the blood, sweat and tears for me to be here. and i'm standing on their shoulders and their sacrifice. now let us come to another point of imagination. now let's kind of look at the wizard of oz for a minute. those of you who know the story of the wizard of oz, you remember dorothy was one of the main characters in that story was swept away by a tornado and

woke up someplace else. well, that's symbolic of slavery. we were swept up from our homeland in a tornado of slavery and landed someplace without our culture, our heritage. but yet we still remain. now think about it. she decided to do something once she got into this particular trip. now just as dorothy, and my descendants encountered on the journey -- we followed the yellow brick road. think about it, the yellow brick road of freedom. now we were looking for the wizard of change. but we ran into the scarecrow, the supreme court, in need of a

brain. did we not? and we wonder why. we ran into the tin man, congress, missing a heart. we ran into the cowardly lion, presidents who lack courage, you see. then, of course, we had the wicked witch of the west, which is the complete legislative body. and we can point to what? the failure of reconstruction. of course we looked to the wizard, all those presidents of the united states -- they were wizards. what did they do that make them wizards? well, they deceived us. you know, you didn't repair the

folk that were broke. you broke 'em, you didn't repair 'em. of course, it only lasted six months because you know that andrew johnson got impeached because he wouldn't carry out the mandate. is that familiar for not carrying out the mandate? that should be -- that's part of this journey. so what did they do, what did the wizards do? they enacted civil rights act in 1865, 1866, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1954, 1960, 1961, 1956. oh, my goodness, what artistry of wizardry. we give them civil rights. we will make laws. this will make them whole again. so we looked to the wizard to

provide relief. now i can imagine, you know, before they take your brain, just imagine the folk that were set on the paths of going down the yellow brick road looking for freedom, looking for justice. and every turn of the way they found resistance. this is why this day is so important. because it grabs hold of the real thought of african-americans celebrating informally for years this great day. and all of you know your history. you know texas was the last one to free the slaves. and can i say that again -- you know, history -- history has its way of taking us down the yellow

brick road. now, you take texas -- the last state in the union to free the slaves. right? and so being the last -- the last one to free the slaves, there was a general in the union army by the name of grandor who read to the slaves the order number 3. i'm getting the taskmaster over here told me to speak to it. and the worst thing that you could do is to give a preacher or a ph.d five minutes. but i'll give you a treat. i will only close one time. and i'll stick to my three points. so let me wrap this up and let

you know why this day is important. it is important because it demonstrates what we have endured and overcome. it also tells us how far we have to go. so this is a great day of jubilee, a great day of celebration. but, yes, we're still going down the yellow brick road looking for freedom and also confronting the scarecrow, the tin man, the cowardly lions, the wicked witch of the west and the wizard. [applause] >> okay, thank you. dr. canton, i heard that dig. [laughter] but that's okay. i love you. okay.

and so we're going -- before we bring up the mayor we're going to hear singing sarah and she's going to sing one song, and singing sarah, let them have it one more time, girl. [applause] (♪♪) ♪ and i'm in denial ♪ ♪ and it don't take any x-ray to see right through my my smile ♪ ♪ i know ♪ ♪ i be on the go ♪ ♪ and it ain't no treat up there ♪ to deny my soul ♪ ♪ all i want to do is take the chains off ♪ ♪ all i want to do is break them off ♪ ♪ all i want to do is be free ♪ ♪ all i want to do is be free ♪

♪ all i want to do is take the chains off ♪ ♪ all i want to do is break them off ♪ ♪ all i want to do is be free ♪ ♪ oh, ♪ ♪ tell me why ♪ ♪ every time i step outside ♪ ♪ i see my people die ♪ ♪ oh ♪ ♪ i'm letting you know ♪ ♪ that it ain't no one out there that can kill my soul ♪ ♪ no ♪ ♪ all i want to do is shake the chains off ♪ ♪ all i want to do is break them off ♪ ♪ all i want to do is be free ♪ ♪ all i want to do is be free ♪ ♪ all i want to do is take them off ♪ ♪ i just want to take them off ♪ ♪ all i want to do ♪ ♪ is be free ♪ ♪ all i want to do is ♪

♪ be free ♪ (♪♪) ♪ yes ♪ ♪ oh ♪ ♪ oh ♪ ♪ oh ♪ hey yeah yeah ♪ ♪ all i want to do is take the chains off ♪ ♪ all i want to do is break them off ♪ ♪ all i want to do ♪ ♪ is be free ♪ ♪ all i want to do ♪ ♪ is be free ♪ (♪♪) ♪ take them off ♪ ♪ take the chains off ♪ ♪ and be free ♪ (♪♪) ♪ oh, be free ♪

♪ be free ♪ ♪ all i want to do ♪ ♪ all i want to do ♪ ♪ all i want to do ♪ ♪ is be free ♪ (♪♪) [applause] >> yes, yes, yes. yes. yes. isn't she wonderful? again, i can't help but say it -- singing sarah -- singing sarah. give her another round of applause. [applause] and so again why are we here? we're here because it's emancipation day. we are here because it's the jubilee day. we are here because it's the national independence day. we're here because of black independence day. we are here -- my favorite -- is

because it's freedom day. so clap it up for freedom day. [applause] so it gives me great pleasure -- i am honored to introduce and bring this next beautiful, wonderful, loving mayor london nicole breed to the mic. but before i bring her, come on -- everybody know this is my booth. i just want you to know that if you are not following her on the news, that last interview that she did with ktvu channel 2 right after election day, june 8th, go google it. i was just so proud of you. you are just so fabulous.

you are smart. you are intelligent. you are just everything to the city and county of san francisco. without your leadership, without your leadership, we would have had so many covid deaths. so clap it up for her, for saving san francisco. clap it up for her saving san francisco. [applause] because that she did. i don't care what nobody say, i don't care how you say it, she saved some of your mommas. she saved some of your cousins. she saved some of your uncles. she saved some of your aunties. your grandmothers, your grandpas. and this is her, mayor london nicole breed. known as my boo.

[applause] >> and you're looking good in that red and gold. go ahead. >> thank you, phylicia. and i think that we have anothek we have another preacher amongst our midst. phylicia jones, thank you so much for your hard work, for coordinating this event and for everything that you do to support and uplift the people of african-american descent in this city. [applause] if nobody has your back, phylicia has your back. and the work and the battles that she continues to fight have such a tremendous impact on a lot of the decisions that i'm also making as mayor.

even though we sometimes have arguments privately. it's because we love our community. it's because we believe in our community and we want to uplift our community in san francisco after such a very challenging time, but also a challenging history. and dr. canton today spoke about that history, because i know for me growing up, juneteenth was a party. juneteenth was fun. juneteenth was carnival rides and seeing the horses go down philmore street and being able to come together as a community and to see folks on stage and see all of these magnificent things. see, at that time we didn't have cellphones and social media and all of that, so we actually talked to each other and engaged with one another a lot differently, but it's also so

critically important to talk about the history, and to just remind people of many of the challenges that are in our recent history. this is not so long ago in american history, and, in in fa, as dr. canton talked about the history of juneteenth overall, i just wanted to touch a little bit on the history of juneteenth in san francisco. arguably, and, you know, i see reverend brown in the audience so he will correct me if i'm wrong, but arguably going back since around 1945 when dr. wesley johnson, who was the owner of the texas playhouse on philmore street. how many of you hung out there? no? reverend brown? no. [laughter] but many of us know about this rich history of san francisco being known as the harlem of the west and having

people like duke ellington and billie holiday and folks come from all over the world to play in philmore, but before that, so many african-americans migrated here from texas, including dr. wesley johnson senior. my grandmother and her siblings and others came here for what they thought would be a better life. they joined the military. they worked on the shipyard. they worked hard in domestic work and a number of things that built this city of san francisco. but then when it was time to let your hair down and come together, the place to be was philmore street. and we also know that there are a lot of other communities where african-americans also lived, in the bayview and lakeview and other places. and philmore street was just that gathering space, so juneteenth -- dating back to

maybe 1945 and somewhat becoming a little bit more official in 1950, people came out with their best attire, celebrating freedom day. celebrating freedom, but also presenting a renewed call to action. wanting to see things change for the african-american community, even back then as redevelopment began the process of pretty much destroying the philmore community with bulldozers and not a lot of input from this community. so when you think about the past, not just the slavery and the challenges that existed, but it means, you know, in the process of our celebrations and the process of being excited and happy about having so many affluent african-americans in this city, in prominent

positions and doing well in life, we still know that even today in 2022, disproportionately in a city that used to be at its height close to 16% african-americans and now at about 5% or less, we still see significant racial disparities. racial disparities and homelessness and the criminal justice system and housing access, and you name it. so, i want you all to know that as i celebrate juneteenth, that 365 days out of the year and 366 on leap year, i'm thinking about this community, its history, the challenges, and our need to make significant investments in addressing those disparities.

significant investments that are going to focus on what we need to do to turn it around. the dream keeper initiative -- and i want to thank cheryl davis for her work and her advocacy. [cheers and applause] because she is working hard in this bureaucratic system and these challenges that exist in a really tough city that has layers of all kinds of things set up to tell you no or catch you doing something, she's working through this system to provide support and resources to many organizations and people that serve the community. with the goal of serving the community. because lives are on the line. our future in this city is on the line. and if ever there was a time to see things transform, the time

is now. i see -- in this juneteenth celebration, i am hopeful. i'm hopeful about the future. because even just yesterday not only providing scholarships to some of our young people who are going on to places like u.c. berkeley and harvard and all of these other extraordinary schools, i'm blown away by them, i'm hopeful because in some of our reentry programs where now people that i know and i grew up with who deserve a second chance have a safe affordable place to call home and an opportunity to rebuild their lives. i'm hopeful because the keynotes who will be performing today just released their first album and, man, let me tell you -- [applause] these kids, who are now becoming teenagers could be doing a lot of other things and they are

using their musical talent to uplift the community. i am hopeful about the future. juneteenth gives us a time to reflect on that history. and, yes, it's a challenging history. but it is also a history where it demonstrates our resilience as a people. and when people knock us down and when people tear us down and people come for us, it makes us stand stronger and it makes us fight harder and it makes us push in order to transform things, not just for ourselves personally. but for the people around us. the grandmothers who raised us. the people we played tag with growing up and hopscotch, i don't know if you kids play that still. but that's what i think about when doing this job every single day.

my experiences are what dictate my decisions for a brighter day, for african-americans, for black people and, yes, it's okay to say black people in the city and county of san francisco. [applause] so now it's time for us to reflect but it's also time for us to have a good time. it's also time for us to put smiles on our faces and put aside our differences and support and uplift one another. that's what it's time for. because we are definitely stronger when we are working together. we are definitely stronger when we are able to do wonderful events like this, when we're able to cut those ribbons of new housing and see black people get into that housing. we're stronger when we're able to uplift our kids and go and

see great performances and support one another and i can't wait until the next couple of years because i think that especially the work that we're doing around the dream keeper initiative, where we are committing to investing $60 million specifically in the african-american every single year to deal with the disparities is so important. and i want to say -- i want to say that it's not about the percentage of the people of this population that we need to focus on. it's about focusing on investing in the disparities in order to eradicate them. i am tired of talking about statistics without real solutions and without making change happen. and i know together that we will make that change happen. with each and every one of you. so make sure that you support

all of the incredible activities that are going to be happening for juneteenth. the first ever flag raising for juneteenth will happen shortly. [applause] and i know that two days of juneteenth on philmore street but guess what, we're celebrating on friday and then going to hunters point on sunday. [applause] there are a lot of different groups that have come together to host events, to hold art exhibits, to host things that celebrate juneteenth in all aspects. our community is not just one community. we come from different parts of the city but we have different layers to this community. and so when we celebrate juneteenth, i think that mega black or other groups are creating calendars with all of the various events to just

really highlight how fun this time is going to be, but also how uplifting. so i want to thank each and every one of you for coming to celebrate this kickoff/flag raising. and i want to thank all of our honored guests who are here today joining us. you'll hear from the president of the board of supervisors, but thank you, scott wiener, our senator, joaquin torres, recorder and new supervisor matt dorsey and our police chief who i almost didn't recognize because he's in civilian clothes. and our supervisor katherine stefani and supervisor connie chan, and someone who just pretty much won the democratic nomination to become the next state controller of the state of california, ma maliah cohen, will be the first black woman in

this position. so we have so much to be proud about. and we have so much to look forward to. so black people, let's stay hopeful, and let's make san francisco -- remember who we are, and what we represent. thank you all so much. [applause] >> so i feel bad for president walton, i'm introducing and i won't call you my boo because i don't want anybody to have any confusion about these working relationships that we have here in the city. but i just wanted to -- and i also know that supervisor safai

is in the back and supervisor preston was here earlier and thank you, supervisor ronen, but i just want to say as someone who is able to do this work, there are two people -- and i do appreciate the board of supervisors, i appreciate all of the department heads, but i really have to say two people have made my load heavier, but they have made the ability to do the work a joy and a pleasure and a commitment. and so for folks who have any doubts at any point in time that mayor london breed or president of the board walton have forgotten about black people, i am here to tell you all day, every day, they remember their roots, they remember the disparities and they know what they are owed in the future, right. [applause] i just want to really stress that regardless to what the narrative or whatever folks may think, like, we're all in here committed to doing better and to

improving outcomes and all day, every day, i just want to say publicly that i appreciate you both. and i appreciate the opportunity to lead this work, but president walton, mayor breed, thank you for your leadership. thank you for your commitment. and thank you actually for moving into those positions to do exactly what you're doing. [applause] so i give president walton a hard time so today i'm not going to do that publicly and i'm just going to invite you up on the stage and thank you for your work. >> happy juneteenth, everybody. [applause] first of all, i want to say it's an honor to stand here as we look at a year later and what a difference that a year makes. this is the year where we commemorate the first year of juneteenth being a national holiday here in the united states.

[applause] and and that is an important milestone. when you go back to the fact that the emancipation pro lockmation was passed in 1863 and we had folks in texas who didn't know that they were free until two years later. and like mayor breed said growing up, we would go to the philmore when it was safe and cool to do that from hunters point and participate in the carnival activities and participate in all of the festivities without really understanding and knowing what juneteenth was about. not knowing that it was commemorating the time where we finally figured out two years later in the state of texas that we were actually free -- at least free from that form of slavery. and so i just want to say that i am excited, that we do have a national holiday now to celebrate and commemorate

juneteenth. i also want to say that this is a great time for black folks here in san francisco. it's a great time for black folks here in san francisco. when you look at the fact that we do have a black mayor. when you look at the fact that i am fortunate enough to serve as the representative of district 10 and the president of the board of supervisors, when you look at the fact that we have someone homegrown here in san francisco that will be your next state controller -- when you look at the leadership that we have at some city departments and at u.s.f., at our other academic institutions, at our non-profit organizations, there's a lot of black leadership here in san francisco. and a lot of things that are happening to move us forward as a people. and with that said, there's still much more work for us to

do. we cannot stop at the dream keeper initiative. we cannot stop at neighborhood legislation. we cannot stop at rights to return legislation. we cannot stop at reparations task force. we will not achieve until we actually achieve true reparations for black people here in san francisco. [applause] and what is exciting is that we are at a pivotal time where we actually got legislation unanimously approved to put a reparations task force together here in this city. that is now doing the work of coming up with strategy and plans of how we're going to address all of the injustices that have existed for black people, not just here in this country, but right here in san francisco. so as we celebrate juneteenth this week, as we get ready to

participate in all of the festivities over the next week, let's not forget that we still have much more work to do and the only way that we're going to get it done is by working together. happy juneteenth, everyone. and thank you so much for celebrating with us right here at city hall. [applause] >> so thank you, president walton. thank you. we love you too, president walton. and let me just say -- i love you too, okay. [laughter] all right. so we're going to have -- we're going to celebrate an african dance and then we're going to celebrate our juneteenth speak easy with our spoken word artist, and i want the spoken word artist -- i'm sorry -- to move towards the front. and then we're going to celebrate with music. i will be back to introduce the last person on the program, and that is my home girl,

ms. bernica hall that we're going to celebrate in spirit before we leave, okay? thank you. brianna? brianna? okay, all right, say hi, sister. we're ready for you, girl. all righty. (♪♪)

(♪♪) (♪♪)

(♪♪) (♪♪) (♪♪) (♪♪) (♪♪)

(♪♪) (♪♪)

(♪♪) (♪♪) (♪♪) (♪♪) (♪♪)

>> oh, what it feels to be black, the weight of the world holds me hostage, pulling me deeper into the ocean, slowly feeling every organ turn blue, stuck with regret, feeling the burning salt water choke my anxiety, choke the black body. choke. i can't breathe. most days i find it hard to breathe. most days i find it hard to hold on, walking on a thin bladed thread. most days i cry for dead black bodies that hang lynched, killed by hooded men. most days i pray the ocean pulls me in, pulling me further down, cleansing me from every trauma that molded into my bones, aching from the hurt. most days i ask the ocean to

make me blue like her. to swallow me so i can rest at the bottom with my ancestors, reborn, so i can feel whole. she offers to cleanse me. reminding me how my black mermaid be magic under the sea. call me a treasure chest. no, the ocean will heal your wounds and free your sorrow and she will tell you that you are beautiful. that god created a masterpiece, a long line of royalty, made the road rocky but created you to overcome, black girl. oh, what it takes to be strong as you. to stand at the most hated crossroad and not flinch. endure years of trauma and still find the strength to get up, breathe, in a world that wants you to suffocate.

how to be visible in a world that tries to stick you out, outcast, with bullets and hate and misogyny, we know that this world wasn't built for you, but your skin stays concrete strong. they fear how resilient and outspoken you are, so speak with purpose. louder than the bigots. we know that your black is magic, that your black belongs, so be black, be bold, be beautiful. and when the world tries to spit you out, i will forever lift you up. [applause] >> my name is ashiwa tugae. >> where have all of my people

gone? that's what i want to know because i'm walking through my old neighborhood, lakeview and i don't see the same faces no more. damn, where did everybody go, they must have been abducted by ufos and then i remember that flying saucers don't come to the ghetto. so i had to put out an amber alert because i know that the devil is at work. in the daytime you see a whole lot of culture but now when the light goes on in the mission you see a whole lot of ah, ah -- vultures. and the only thing that we got was boba and sparkling soda and covid and burritos and we got see yo fris co. they think that black people out here eat ricearoni, no, bro. being black in san francisco is like riding the cable car, you pay a lot but you don't get very far. [applause]

because you know that san francisco is the same size as disneyworld but we divided into two different worlds because on one side of the industry you have keen streets and no beats where robin williams used to live at. where we live at we pack heat and we don't got no comic relief. i live in a war zone, a tore zone and i have creditors that won't leave us alone. i don't know if y'all know that there used to be a neighborhood in frisco called philmore. and it ain't filled up no more and that's why it's called the mo as in no mo. they used to call us the harm harlem of the west but there's hardly any of us left. there's more black lives matter left than black residents that reside. [applause] and for some recent it's happening in bayview, just as clear as play, and the reason

they want million dollar homes because we have a dazed view. they said what are you complaining about, y'all got the warriors back. y'all got chase. or did we get chase? but they say stop complaining, because if you ain't got a hundred grand you're not part of the long-term plan if you ain't working in tech you ain't got no respect. accept it, you got defeat. and i say, nah, i got my piece, 100% college prep and s.f. black walks free. [applause] and this is our land and you just can't have everything back. shout out to two jacks. [applause] i used to live in san francisco but i got a new nickname for it now, i live in scam fran and this is scam fran, this is where

i am i live in a city that barely gives a dang about poor people of color or anybody else, if you ain't got pot or you ain't got wealth, so what do you got? and your voice and people use it and i don't like nike but i feel that there needs to be an improvement and i take that slogan and i just -- [applause] >> hi. my poem is called "black lives matter." me being black is not a threat. i should be worried about school and sports, not death. if only bullets could kill racism and poverty. if you think that we live in the land of the free, you should be black like me. black lives are a misery, we

live in our own history. racists call passion anger, do i have to be angry? black lives matter, or should i cry for those who die, my life matters. and a national swag, hair, body, but not breath. pollsters, i should should they never speak up, they cool, and or to be a kkk empathizer. i could be for food and now the negative flesh dipped in blood. i could be at the store, right, haven't stolen a day in my life, and they snapped up by my hoodie and they read my rights. dr. king had a dream but this is my reality. i yell i can't breathe while police are choking our brothers. they yell i can't breathe wearing a mask in public. racist signs with a neon black man's neck but i'll neil on the

neck of colin kaepernick. so a pledge to speak up and to speak out, by allegiance to the boys and girls who could judge as if their skin is a crime. police brutality, justice for who, not my kind, not humankind. police, honestly, i hide. will this just be a poem? after this you guys will go home. what will you do to stop the hate? i graduated from the sixth grade. i should celebrate. [applause] what do i want to be when i grow up? i hear the whispers and i see what's televised. i just want to be alive. when you look at me -- no, wait, when you look at us, don't say you're colorblind because then you'll never see me because i'm black. how many more years until there's equality? judge me off my character. what about -- judge me off my

character, what about what's within. we have been hurt for years. give us time to heal what has been. so my second question to you is why can't all lives matter. [applause] >> my name is jira, and i'm an honor roll students from rosa parks. [applause] >> on june 19th, i scratched freedom day into the walls of the family prison cell. i wrote it with such frequency that it lost meaning as it rolled down my cheeks and slid

off my fingertips. now i'm left with a dull blade and busted palms, fearing pain, burning through my skin from the inside to my labor, a sensation that my people are prone to knowing too well. so many lines and lacerations slashed across my family tree we got blood on the leaves. i can't even retrace the origins of my face. i am victim to a hemophelic lineage. and when you live in sun-kissed skin like ours you come to understand bondage like the meaning of your first name and realize every breath not stolen or beaten out your chest is like a church day. so i cloak my sunday best and sing modernized hymns of my liberation. i listen to negro spirituals in my headphones. i wade in the water, hoping this feeling of drowning will come to subside.

the way of this purgatory softly suffocates my movement and reminds me that daring to dream feels like a hedonistic fantasy at times and how easy it gets to lose sight of my progress. on june 19th, i work until my muscles tear apart to reintroduce myself to the physicality. at the intersection of my freedom and my reality, i see picket signs that say unshackled risk but enslaved in my mentality, angela davis taught me this is not the end of our captivity but rather the beginning of our opportunity. when you speak of the future in a form of a question you savor the value of every step. and these stories hold years of ancestral wisdom like inpsych ee peddia has walked it before and to me all of my people was born with old souls inhabiting brown

flesh and bone and we are all stories of struggle and survival. and our table of contents expanding with every new meaning in our melotin. we found ways to outlive shackle straps to our ankles and so every step we take now is literally a civil rights movement, well-oiled machines of more utilities or we best depression or rather our celebration in all of its manifestation is resistance. the beauty of our ceremonies is encapsulated in the fact that we are not free. that's what i mean when we've all been here before. racism has many chains, where it morphs and takes new shape. we are no stranger to this suffering or perhaps we have always been next-door neighbors to the suffering when they see us, they see our premature corpses and so we cannot regress to expectations.

this living that we somehow continue to manage is our most profound form of liberation. so i'm watering my trauma and giving it sun, allowing it the breath that it had taken from my lungs for years as people we must unlearn this hurt and reform it like we have with everything before. but also we must acknowledge its value, its potential to make us stronger. you have stopped the repetition of history by closely studying the debris of the aftermath. we are all living, breathing images of the cataclysm and this is the contraction of our insides and we're contorting our entire faces into smiles. how we glisten with ecteas as we dance to the mother tongue of our reinvention of african culture in the american context, we shine in spite of. the strain be constantly we are forced to take, and the many attempts at erasure and hate and our joy is misery's burial ground. we are our only cure to what would otherwise be inevitable.

at the funerals of our elders we throw ourselves into a sorrowful bouquet and outstretch our leaves and replant ourselves in the soil of our predecessors. we find ways to make beauty from what was once broken because it is all that we have ever known to do. thank you. [applause] >> my name is jayden mortel. thank you for the stage. y'all have a blessed day. >> happy freedom day. [applause] amen. we want to thank phylicia jones, ms. phylicia jones, you command attention every time i see

you -- heads turn and you flash that smile and you win people over. thank you. and we want to honor the mayor -- thank you, madam mayor. as well as dr. emos brown. thank you very much. please, please. i do want to say poppa c, daddy, wave your hand, honey. he doesn't like to talk about this but his doctorate is in education and he has tons of music degrees, however, along with our partnership with the community music center he has started the first black music studies program in the west coast, right here in san francisco. [applause] >> this song was written by sylvester steward, we all know who that is. he's a home boy, he's from the bay area. we know him as sly stone. he wrote this song because he

said i'm a black man. and you're not going to place the rules that you think i'm supposed to be in, because you're of a different race, creed or color. he said that i'm everyday people. >> that's right. (♪♪) (♪♪) (♪♪) (♪♪) ♪ i still have the right and i can't be wrong ♪ ♪ i believe in my song ♪ ♪ the drummer and then ♪ ♪ i ♪ ♪ am everyday people ♪ (♪♪) ♪ there is a blue one and

mechanic with a green one ♪ ♪ china be a skinny one ♪ ♪ different strokes for different folks ♪ ♪ and so on and so on and scooby dooby, dooby ♪ ♪ oh, sun shine ♪ (♪♪) we have to live together ♪ ♪ ♪ you know me and then you can't figure out the group i'm in ♪ ♪ i ♪ ♪ am everyday people ♪ ♪ there is a blue long hair ♪ ♪ that doesn't like the short hair ♪ ♪ for being such a rich one ♪ ♪ that won't help the poor one ♪ ♪ different strokes for

different folks ♪ ♪ and so on and so on ♪ ♪ and scooby-dooby-dooby ♪ oh, sunshine ♪ ♪ we got to live together ♪ ♪ there is a yellow one ♪ ♪ that won't accept the black one ♪ ♪ that won't accept the red one ♪ have. ♪ that won't accept the white one ♪ ♪ different strokes for different folks ♪ ♪ and so and so on ♪ ♪ and scooby-dooby-dooby ♪ oh, sunshine ♪ ♪ i ♪ ♪ am everyday people ♪ [cheers and applause] >> this song is off of our album that you can stream now, just search, it's on spotify, apple music and/or itunes or

wherever you stream music everywhere. >> as an ex-member of the black panthers i came out here in 1963 from jim crow louisiana. i do know what it's like to be in jim crow. and when i came to san francisco it was a different type of jim crow, but it was still jim crow in a different form. this song says power to the people! power to the people! >> power to the people! power to the people! that's right. [applause] we just waiting on the d.j. that was the cue.

congratulations, ma leah cohen and i saw you carrying a baby, amen. is that your baby? oh, yes. [applause] she's beautiful. (♪♪) >> it's all right if you want to clap. (♪♪) ♪ hey yeah ♪ ♪ yeah ♪ ♪ power to the people ♪ >> we can see you better ♪ ♪ make the best of things ♪ ♪ hold your head up high ♪ ♪ hold your head up high ♪

♪ let the night shine ♪ ♪ shine ♪ ♪ shine ♪ ♪ we all have the same ♪ (♪♪) ♪ celebrate all humanity ♪ ♪ power to the people ♪ ♪ power to the people ♪ ♪ let them graduate ♪ ♪ we can do it better ♪ >> clap y'all. ♪ power to the people ♪ ♪ we grt get on right away ♪ ♪ we can see it better ♪

♪ >> black comes in all colors. >> ♪ block brown and yellow ♪ ♪ red white and blue ♪ ♪ kindness has no color ♪ ♪ and love is the only color of truth ♪ (♪♪) ♪ for rights and equal pay ♪ ♪ you are free ♪ (♪♪) ♪ as you want to be ♪ (♪♪) ♪ get down ♪ ♪ hit it ♪ (♪♪) ♪ we don't have enough room to do our power walk ♪ ♪ we have a dance to this called

the power walk. (♪♪) ♪ can you help me ♪ ♪ hey ♪ ♪ power power ♪ ♪ power ♪ ♪ power power ♪ ♪ power power ♪ ♪ power power ♪ ♪ power power ♪ >> ♪ show the world ♪ ♪ power power ♪ ♪ power power ♪ ♪ power power ♪ ♪ power power ♪ ♪ power power ♪ (♪♪) ♪ power power ♪ ♪ power power ♪ ♪ power power ♪ ♪ power power ♪ ♪ power power ♪ ♪ power power ♪ (♪♪) >> thank you. we are the curtis family.

thank you. [applause] >> one, two, three -- [applause] >> how y'all doing? all right, we just been talking outside about, man, it's so beautiful to celebrate blackness. it's so beautiful to celebrate blackness. i used to go to the carnival back in philmore -- you too and i didn't know what i was doing, i was riding the ponies and getting on carnival rides, but this is a celebration of who we

are. and we're so blessed to be here and doing this right now, i am blessed to be a black san franciscan. we are the san francisco black theater company and i'm rodney earl jackson jr., and this is my brother anthony jackson and marcus earl. and this song is called "daddy's arms" rip by the great athello jeffson. this man was reading stories to his black daughters in san francisco and is like i want to make this into some music. i think that it's a perfect song for leading into father's day and so many black fathers, what that means to hold their kids. so without further adieu this is "daddy's arms." (♪♪)

♪ in daddy's arms ♪ ♪ and close to the sun ♪ (♪♪) in daddy's arms ♪ ♪ in daddy's arms ♪ ♪ in daddy's arms ♪ ♪ i can see ♪ ♪ i can touch that big mag maga tree ♪ (♪♪) ♪ in daddy's arms ♪

♪ in daddy's arms ♪ ♪ in my daddy's arms the move is slow ♪ ♪ closer at nighttime when i can almost touch it ♪ ♪ when it grins back at me from a wide sky ♪ ♪ in daddy's arms ♪ ♪ in daddy's arms ♪ ♪ in daddy's arms ♪ ♪ i am tall ♪ ♪ taller than my friend dave and george ♪ ♪ i am tall ♪ ♪ taller than uncle billy and best of all ♪ ♪ i am with my big brother jamal

♪ in my daddy's arms ♪ ♪ in my daddy's arms ♪ (♪♪) ♪ daddy's arms ♪ ♪ i am strong ♪ ♪ at last ♪ ♪ i have never been happier ♪ ♪ and touch the clouds ♪ ♪ when daddy spins me round ♪ ♪ and round ♪ ♪ when daddy spins me round and round ♪ ♪ when daddy spins me around and around ♪ (♪♪) ♪ and around ♪ (♪♪) ♪ and when the whole world is crazy ♪

♪ upside down ♪ ♪ i am big and strong ♪ (♪♪) ♪ i am big and strong ♪ ♪ i am big and strong ♪ ♪ and proud like him ♪ ♪ in daddy's arms ♪ ♪ in daddy's arms ♪ (♪♪) in daddy's arms ♪ (♪♪) ♪ my daddy ♪ (♪♪) >> in daddy's arms, yes. >> thank you so much. we love you, man. >> yes, yes.

>> and a big shout out to my love, or is she talking to dr. davis now. she always -- ms. phylicia jones, let's give her a round of applause for organizing this event. all she does is work and i have been on so many zoom calls and her monolith that i love black people and she did, y'all. she really loves us. so big round of applause to big mama phylicia. >> phylicia asked me to sing a song that we know that god calls on a response and we will sing a thank you lord for all that you have done for me. all right, our family, we come from texas, our parents, god rest their souls, came from texas. the last state to get the news, college station, and bryant and terrell, texas, respectively.

and we ask you to join us and we know that you know this song. all right, clap along and stand up, it's been a long time and we celebrate juneteenth. ♪ tragedies come in all kinds of diseases ♪ ♪ people are slipping away ♪ ♪ the economy is down ♪ ♪ people can't get enough pay ♪ ♪ but as for me ♪ ♪ all i can say ♪ ♪ is thank you lord ♪ ♪ for all you've done for me ♪ (♪♪) ♪ yeah, yeah, yeah ♪ any thankful people here? come on, give us a praise and thank him. ♪ folks without homes ♪ ♪ living out in the streets ♪ ♪ and has a drug habit ♪ ♪ something they just can't beat

♪ ♪ mothers and brothers ♪ places to be safe ♪ but you be my protection every step of the way ♪ ♪ let me say thank you lord for all you've done for me ♪ (♪♪) ♪ it could have been me ♪ ♪ thank you ♪ ♪ i -- ♪ ♪ thank you ♪ ♪ thank you ♪ ♪ thank you ♪ ♪ oh, thank you lord ♪ ♪ thank you ♪ ♪ as a friend ♪ ♪ and not just another number ♪ ♪ thank you ♪ ♪ thank you ♪ ♪ every day by your power ♪ ♪ thank you ♪ ♪ people keeping me ♪ ♪ thank you ♪ ♪ thank you lord for all you've done ♪ ♪ for me ♪ ♪ yeah ♪ ♪ say thank you lord ♪ ♪ for all you've done for me ♪

(♪♪) ♪ one more time ♪ ♪ say thank you lord ♪ ♪ for all you've done for me ♪ ♪ i want to thank you lord ♪ (♪♪) ♪ for your power ♪ ♪ thank you lord ♪ ♪ your protection ♪ ♪ thank you, lord ♪ ♪ every hour ♪ ♪ i thank you for your love ♪ ♪ thank you lord ♪ ♪ for your power ♪ ♪ for your protection ♪ ♪ thank you lord ♪ ♪ thank you lord ♪ ♪ thank you lord ♪ ♪ thank you ♪ ♪ thank you lord ♪ ♪ i want to say thank you lord ♪ identity? ♪thank you ♪ ♪ i want to thank you ♪ ♪ thank you lord ♪ ♪ thank you ♪ ♪ thank you ♪ (♪♪) ms. phylicia come on ♪ ♪ thank you ♪ ♪ come on sissy ♪ ♪ come on sissy ♪ ♪ it's all right ♪

♪ just give thanks ♪ we know your people ♪ ♪ thank you ♪ ♪ thank you ♪ ♪ thank you ♪ ♪ thank you ♪ >> thank you for your family and a shout out to your mother who i love so much and it's all right. the brothers and sisters, i just want to say thank you. ♪ thank you ♪ ♪ thank you ♪ ♪ to the family, thank you. (♪♪) thank you. (♪♪) thank you. thank you, everyone for coming. and i think that we will end on a wonderful note, giving thanks to god who we love and so now you are in the hands of delight that city hall will be lit up in juneteenth colors tonight. thank you for coming and we appreciate you and mayor breed

appreciates you and loves you, and so do i. (♪♪) (♪♪) (♪♪) (♪♪) (♪♪)

the meeting will come to order. this is the june 24, 2022 budget and appropriations committee meeting. i'm supervisor hilary ronen, i'm joined by gordon mar, connie chan, and vice chair will be here shortly. our clerk is brent. >> madam chair, one second. >> is there a way to change it. she's the community member. >> i apologize madam chair we must start over again. >> good morning, the meeting comes to order. thank you.