The University of San Francisco USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and McCarthy Center Student Scholarship the Common Good 2020 Changemakers: Biographies of African Americans in San Francisco Who Made a Difference David Donahue Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.usfca.edu/mccarthy_stu Part of the History Commons CHANGEMAKERS AFRICAN AMERICANS IN SAN FRANCISCO WHO MADE A DIFFERENCE Biographies inspired by San Francisco’s Ella Hill Hutch Community Center murals researched, written, and edited by the University of San Francisco’s Martín-Baró Scholars and Esther Madríz Diversity Scholars CHANGEMAKERS: AFRICAN AMERICANS IN SAN FRANCISCO WHO MADE A DIFFERENCE © 2020 First edition, second printing University of San Francisco 2130 Fulton Street San Francisco, CA 94117 Published with the generous support of the Walter and Elise Haas Fund, Engage San Francisco, The Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good, The University of San Francisco College of Arts and Sciences, University of San Francisco Student Housing and Residential Education The front cover features a 1992 portrait of Ella Hill Hutch, painted by Eugene E. White The Inspiration Murals were painted in 1999 by Josef Norris, curated by Leonard ‘Lefty’ Gordon and Wendy Nelder, and supported by the San Francisco Arts Commission and the Mayor’s Offi ce Neighborhood Beautifi cation Project Grateful acknowledgment is made to the many contributors who made this book possible. Please see the back pages for more acknowledgments. The opinions expressed herein represent the voices of students at the University of San Francisco and do not necessarily refl ect the opinions of the University or our sponsors. PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA COMMUNITY CONSULTANTS Altheda Kennedy Carrie Lynnette White Eugene E. White Brenda Harris HISTORICAL CONSULTANT Alfred W. Williams, President, African American Historical and Cultural Society FACULTY ADVISORS David Holler, Director, Martín-Baró Scholars Program Stephanie Sears, Director, Esther Madríz Diversity Scholars Program Rachel Brahinsky, Director, Urban and Public Aff airs Program ENGAGE SAN FRANCISCO, LEO T. McCARTHY CENTER FOR PUBLIC SERVICE AND THE COMMON GOOD Karin Cotterman David Donahue Fernando Enciso-Márquez Leslie Lombre Star Moore Nolizwe Nondabula Andrea Wise GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANTS Matthew Chiodo Zachary James Elijah Williams UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANTS Ya’qub Elmi Marcelo Swoff ord Samantha Young COPY EDITOR Jeannine Yeomans ELLA HILL HUTCH COMMUNITY CENTER E’rika Chambers James Spingola Devi Zinzuvadia ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT Zorrae Bowie Maj Jenkins Kresten Froistad–Martin Alicia Marshall Sarah Rewers Beth Gonzales Deja Gill Genevieve Chan ESTHER MADRÍZ DIVERSITY SCHOLARS AUTHORS (2015–2016) Eduardo Alguera Alice Alvarez Draucillia Bala Nell Bayliss Cassandra Cassamajor Julio Ceja Guadalupe Garcia Taylor Hazley Anya Kishen Kiana Martinez Erica Mitchell Jazlynn Pastor Chiweta Uzoka Jack Weinrieb Stanley Whitaker ESTHER MADRÍZ DIVERSITY SCHOLARS AUTHORS (2016–2017) Luigi Aieta Jahmil Brown Carlos Calles Heidi De La Cruz Velázquez Teresa Fishman Loven Florencio Ben Hamblin Dallas Hogue Jazelle Jajeh Chaniece Jeff erson Candice Matlock Justin Nkemere Anthony Norman Janelle Nunez Emmit Parubrub Sydney Summers–Knight Alec Taylor Kalin Venable MARTÍN-BARÓ SCHOLARS AUTHORS AND EDITORS (2016–2017) Juliet Baires Kendra Bean DeJanelle Bovell Ashley Cruz Ian Duke Ya’qub Elmi Ceejay Garcia Betsy Jacobo Kimberly McAllister Daaniyal Mulyadi Sormeh Naderi Chase Nakayama Rosy Patel Licette Renteria Annelise Suleiman Vivian Talamantes Alvin Tran Megan Woods MARTÍN-BARÓ SCHOLARS AUTHORS AND EDITORS (2017–2018) Jesse Cortes Zoe Foster Kallee Graham Meghan Grant Grace Jackson Evita Martinez Delaney Miller Madison Owens Althea Pyle Rachael Sandoval Hannah Shepherd Sage Stefanick Marcelo Swoff ord Sophia Tarantino Meisy Tunay Olivia Walker Kendra Wharton Kristen Williams MARTÍN-BARÓ SCHOLARS AUTHORS AND EDITORS (2018–2019) Benjamin Elbaum Elaina Envia Emma Gaut Phia Rau Halleen Sayeh Jafari Mei Lin Beth Martens Savannah Miranda Kristin Pham Elinor K. Robbins Ethan Tan Isabel Tayag Jasmine Toyama Sawyer Wolf CHANGEMAKERS INTRODUCTION xv David Holler and Stephanie Sears IMAGES OF THE INSPIRATION MURALS xviii Murals by Josef Norris, photos by Joaquin Cabello EDDIE ALLEY 2 Jazz Bassist VERNON ALLEY 4 Jazz Drummer JULE ANDERSON 6 Board of Education DR. ERNEST A. BATES 8 Neurologist REV. HAMILTON T. BOSWELL 10 Jones United Methodist Church REV. EDGAR BOYD 12 Pastor, Bethel AME Church REV. DR. AMOS C. BROWN 14 Third Baptist Church, President, NAACP THADDEUS BROWN 16 Tax Collector WILLIE L. BROWN 18 Mayor of San Francisco ALTHEDA KENNEDY CARRIE 20 Teacher, Administrator, SFUSD REVELS CAYTON 22 Deputy Mayor, Labor Leader BILL CHESTER 24 Labor Leader, Longshoremen’s Union DR. CAESAR CHURCHWELL 26 Dentist, African American Chamber of Commerce DR. WILLIAM COBB 28 First African American Principal, SFUSD JOSEPHINE COLE 30 First African American School Teacher, SFUSD LINDA DAVIS 32 Interim Superintendent, SFUSD JOHN DEARMAN 34 Judge BOB DEMMONS 36 Fire Chief, President, Black Firefi ghters Assoc. CLAUDE T. EVERHART 38 Deputy Mayor RICHARD FINIS 40 Police Offi cer THOMAS FLEMING 42 Journalist for The Sun–Reporter H. WELTON FLYNN 44 Accountant TERRY FRANCOIS 46 Attorney, SF Board of Supervisors DR. WAYLAND FULLER 48 Pharmacist ERNEST J. GAINES 50 Author ROTEA GILFORD 52 SF Police Department, Offi cers for Justice DANNY GLOVER 54 Actor and Activist DR. CARLTON B. GOODLETT 56 Physician, Writer, and Newspaper Publisher DR. ZURETTI GOOSBY 58 Dentist and SFUSD School Board Member LEONARD ‘LEFTY’ GORDON 60 Director, Ella Hill Hutch Community Center REV. ROLAND GORDON 62 Pastor and Founder, Thad Brown Boys Academy NAOMI GRAY 64 Community Activist BISHOP DONALD GREEN 66 San Francisco Christian Center BISHOP WILBUR HAMILTON 68 Bishop, SF Redevelopment Agency DR. NATHAN HARE 70 Professor, Psychologist, Founder of Black Studies CAPTAIN SYLVIA HARPER 72 First African American Female Captain, SFPD BRENDA HARRIS 74 Educator and State Department of Education LEOLA HAVARD 76 First Female African American Principal, SFUSD REV. FREDERICK DOUGLASS HAYNES, SR. 78 Third Baptist Church OLLIE AND WILLIE HECTOR 80 Successful Parents AILEEN CLARKE HERNANDEZ 82 President, National Organization for Women RICHARD HOLDER 84 First African American Deputy Chief, SFPD ELLA HILL HUTCH 86 SF Board of Supervisors, Labor Leader MATTIE JACKSON 88 Labor Leader GERALDINE JOHNSON 90 Coalition of Black Trade Unions REV. CALVIN JONES, JR. 92 Pastor, Providence Baptist Church REV. CALVIN JONES, SR. 94 Pastor, Providence Baptist Church LOUISE JONES 96 Principal, Deputy Superintendent of SFUSD FRED JORDAN 98 Engineer and Philanthropist SAM JORDAN 100 Entrepreneur JOSEPH GAMBLE KENNEDY 102 Judge WILLIE B. KENNEDY 104 BART and SF Board of Supervisors LEROY KING 106 Union Leader, Commissioner SF Redevelopment DR. WILLIS KIRK 108 President of San Francisco Community College DONNETER LANE 110 Educator and Community Activist ORELIA LANGSTON 112 Administrator and Community Activist ORVILLE LUSTER 114 Executive Director, Youth for Service RUTH MALOOF 116 Mother of Six, SFUSD Volunteer DR. JOE MARSHALL 118 Founder of Omega Boys Club LARRY MARTIN 120 Vice President of Transportation Workers Union MARY S. MARTIN 122 Founder, S.R. Martin College Preparatory School NATHANIEL MASON, JR. 124 Community Activist, NAACP JOHNNY MATHIS 126 Entertainer OLLIE MATSON 128 National Football League ENOLA MAXWELL 130 Founder of Potrero Hill Neighborhood House REV. JAMES MCCRAY 132 Jones Memorial United Methodist Church LULANN McGRIFF 134 Community Leader, NAACP ISIAH NELSON, III 136 First African American Commander, SFPD EVA PATERSON 138 Attorney and Founder of Equal Justice Society LES PAYNE 140 California Youth Authority DR. WILLIAM PIERCE 142 Clinical Psychologist ALEX PITCHER 144 NAACP President, Community Leader CECIL F. POOLE 146 Judge and US Attorney WILL HENRY RENO 148 Businessman and Community Activist MARY HELEN ROGERS 150 Community Advocate PRENTICE E. SANDERS 152 Deputy Chief of Police, SFPD THOMATRA SCOTT 154 Community Advocate JOSEPH ‘BUNNY’ SIMON 156 Entrepreneur THELMA AND BENJAMIN SMITH 158 Parents of Nine PHIL SMITH 160 NBA (Golden State Warriors) and USF Dons REUBEN SMITH 162 Hunters Point Boys and Girls Club RUDY SMITH 164 Probation Services JAMES E. STRATTEN 166 SF Board of Supervisors JAMES THIGPEN 168 Entrepreneur DR. SHIRLEY THORNTON 170 Deputy Superintendent; State Dept. of Education BURL A. TOLER 172 National Football League Offi cial and Educator REV. ARELIOUS WALKER 174 Pastor, True Hope Church of God in Christ DORIS WARD 176 Assessor and SF Board of Supervisors ELOISE WESTBROOK 178 Community Advocate EARL WHITE 180 Entrepreneur EUGENE E. WHITE 182 Artist REV. CECIL WILLIAMS 184 Pastor, Glide Church LIEUTENANT HENRY WILLIAMS 186 SF Police Department, Offi cers for Justice LT. COL. THEODORE A. WILSON 188 Tuskegee Airman, US Air Force ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 190 INTRODUCTION HIS BOOK, written entirely by students at the University of San Francisco, seeks to inclusively celebrate Tblack excellence and to honor the legacies of the 96 inspiring people whose images appear on the murals of the Ella Hill Hutch Community Center in the heart of the Western Addition in San Francisco. Commissioned in 1999 by Supervisors Leonard “Lefty” Gordon and Wendy Nelder in conjunction with the San Francisco Arts Commission,