Thoughts of an Urban Pastor in San Francisco
Healing begins with Acknowledgement
In the past few months months Bayview has felt particularly caught up in a whirlwind of new restaurants, new scooters, new festivals, new thought and new people. While reaching for the new, some people are trying remember how to embrace black past and present.
San Francisco prides itself on being a color-blind City, unlike many other U.S. cities. We thought that we didn’t have issues with a police officers or racial issues. Surely we are more receptive to those of other ethnic backgrounds. Surely our school system is fair or the juvenile justice system is equitable. We’re at the vanguard of twenty-first-century America and we believe that San Francisco leads the way, right? Not like States with Confederate Statues or gun carrying states where the real racists live. Well surprise, surprise, surprise, is what Gomer Pile would say (Very old reference, Google it). From Japanese and Chinese internment camps to redlining. Police shootings of unarmed black men in Bayview and fighting for places to live (Redevelopment) in the Mission, Chinatown, and Fillmore. San Francisco has been that place to.
This past month Zaccho Dance Theatre group surprised a lot of people with their art. The beauty of the arts is that it challenges you and it should force you to look at things differently. It also challenges and forces you to humanize the very things that you might of had a different view. Zaccho Dance group accomplish this very thing with their latest installment called “Picture Bayview Hunters Point”. It showed Black peoples humanity, fortitude, resiliency, tenacity, and beauty. The performance shared early beginnings of Native Americans, as well as those of Italian and Irish decent early in Bayview with the performance. But the performance leaned heavily on African-Americans migrating here from the often unhealthy Jim Crow segregated South. The beautiful story of a black work ethic, black love, black church, and a unified community.
They took the courage to making invisible people visible by highlighting there journey, struggles, pain and beauty.
For many artists a common pitfall fall is their approach to their work. Sometime it feels like their art comes from a selfish place particularly when it’s about the community. It’s usually a false solidarity and service but reeks of pride and privilege. This unchecked privilege causes major harm and to be honest and it causes so much pain. Yes privilege! Artist must put in the time and listen to a broad scope of people and sometime tell a story that isn’t always pretty. This is a part of work that we all must do. We must put in the work. Whatever privilege we have, we must be mindful of our possible misguided perspective and realize that people should be first listen to and allow the art to follow from a place of humility. We must first listen to the voices of others. That’s what Zaccho’s process was and you can feel it. They stood in a place of a listener and told a full story. I was so excited and impressed that they took the time (short as it may be) to the inclusion of Native American (Ohlone Tribe) brothers and sisters, as well as Irish and Italian folks who came and started industry and butcher shops (Butchertown).
One part highlighted the community tradegy of a killing of a young unarmed black male (like Mario Woods, Trevon Martin, Freddie Gray, Philando Castile, Alton Sterling ) by white police officer. We saw the images of the ensuing uprising of the people of Bayview the response of our government that sent the national guards marching down 3rd Street. The story of the Big Five ( The Big Five are identified as Julia Commer, Bertha Freeman, Osceola Washington, Elouise Westbrook, and Ruth Williams). Those who tried to uplift a people who’d been torn down, forgotten, singled out but fought for relevance and spoke truth to power. It helped to remember many forgotten men and women that fought to make Bayview a haven for thousands of people. At one point Bayview/Hunters Point had the highest home ownership in all of San Francisco. Zaccho pushed us to remember to not to forget.This type of art helps to acknowledge the struggle that has happened here in Bayview, and it helps us all heal.
Like many who left the Jim Crow South from Arkansas, Louisiana, Virginia, Texas, and Mississippi, black folks came to San Francisco and staked their claim in the Bayview, Fillmore, Lakeview, Oceanview, and Potrero Hill. Much like the Immigrant story of today, they came in the second wave (gold rush) of the Great Migration in the 1940’s, looking for an opportunity live, create a better life for themselves and their children. They created new social imagination and they formed tribes in these areas. They took areas where white people didn’t want to stay and produce churches, schools, and businesses. I’m so thankful for the history and legacy that was formed for this neighborhood. This was Wakanda (Black Panther reference).
Zaccho showed and gave a perspective that betrays the belief that there is a limited supply of dignity, worth, or care available. This narrative just ain’t true. The truth is many black people have been denied what is available because of greed, fear, control, hatred, ignorance, complacency, selfishness, and this story told that.
Zaccho helped us lift our voices and said it loud and clear “WE ARE BAYVIEW”. This was a picture of resilience, a picture tenacity, a picture of Community love, a picture of Hope. This was a picture of Bayview Hunters Point.
