 Good afternoon have your attention We're going to begin our program. Thanks for bearing with us. We know we're starting a little late We're waiting for all of our honorees to get here. So we will begin now. So good afternoon and welcome to the 15th annual unsung hero awards My name is Linda Brooks Burton, and I am the branch manager at the Bayview Watton branch of the San Francisco Public Library Thank you Wonderful library wonderful branch and every year the library likes to take the time to honor those individuals who go above and beyond the duty To volunteer in their neighborhoods whether in their own families or at work or their communities and in the spirit of Thanksgiving we would like to honor these heroes today To begin our program. We have a choir from Castlemont High School Who's going to sing first for us lift every voice and sing they have their own rendition So please listen, and then after they've sung their version. We'd like Everyone to stand and sing lift every voice a second time So if you would give a wonderful welcome to these young people the castle ears from Castlemont High School Thank you. Let's give Councilman Catholic tears one more big hand on my hand. Good afternoon everyone My name is my name is Stuart Shaw I'm the African-American Central Librarian here at the main library and I want to welcome you again to the 15th annual unsung heroes award and my job No, no picket, please I'm here to introduce our emcee for the day and our cheerleader for the day Veronica danger field Veronica has been emcee for this program for past five or six years, and I can think of a better person to be our emcee She's a mother of three. He's a loyal library activist and supporter and Great people at they say so without any more talk from me. I introduce Veronica danger field. Thank you Good morning cousins. How y'all doing? You know what I never thought I would be in front of so many beautiful people. Don't you guys look gorgeous today? And today we are here cousins to lift up each other and to lift up all of the unsung heroes Now I know you guys have been keeping some secrets from me. I Know that every single one of you is a hero in your own right So cousins, I don't want you to leave me up here by myself say I say For I say for you and I say for me and get up and greet your other cousins and say good morning Don't be shy now This is a party. This is a celebration The spirit cousins that is the spirit See that's one thing about when you get a bunch of black folks together and they start partying you got to break it up Alrighty y'all. I don't know if y'all remember me, but my name is Veronica danger field. All right. He's only black child I am the proud mother mother of three children and The last one I called my very own terminator Yes, I have one in my house now That's the one that took my memory because I have none all the memory that I have I have to buy it in my computer ain't not smart So this day we're gonna lift up some amazing people But I'm not gonna lift them up by myself because you my cousins are gonna hold hands with me And we're gonna celebrate now We're not gonna sit there in our desks at our chairs quietly Are we because I know you guys can talk and I know you can say hallelujah and I say And that's right. So we're gonna keep it going and the first honoree tonight The honorees at this unsung heroes event are the most phenomenal And as the young people we have our very first leader. His name is Renard Monroe Mr. Monroe is a is an amazing man. He's a Husband a father and a young leader in the OMI community He's a coordinator of youth programs and he has inspired over a hundred youths in the OMI Can I get a amen for? motivate knows you Because you know some of us are left behind Renard has brought hope and inspiration many who will be classified as risk He's motivated them to strive for academic excellence as well as acquisition of social and recreational skills The pride program that he coordinates provide academic tutoring health nutrition Education and recreational activities as well as an introduction to the community service He is a young leader because that's where we're gonna get all our leaders from okay Because we can't be running the game all by ourselves forever because I don't know about you, but I'm getting a little tired But so thank you so much Renard several of the longtime activists in the neighborhood are very proud of this young man's leadership and potential And feel that he's a new generation of movers and shakers Representing the OMI community as a change agent and that he will be you bring young people into the community Process by keeping them where they belong they feel loved they feel honored and they feel treasured in their own Communities, please give him a warm welcome Renard Monroe first of all I would like to start off by saying that I'm honored to be receiving the unsung hero award When I think back over my personal and professional life There are so many people who have inspired me Along list who've inspired me and have indirectly and directly taught me the importance of caring about others My work in the community is so important to who I am and what I want to accomplish You can't understand the smiles and the hugs from the youth that I work with Or the satisfaction of seeing kids like Ebony Run up to me and say mr. Monroe miss Monroe. I got an A on my test or I made the honor roll Or I got into the school of my choice It makes all the work that you do worthwhile these experiences That I have with the youth that I work with will always keep me warm and make sure that I keep on moving in the community and Trying to make a change I Would like to thank the individuals who nominated me for this procedures award Without your commitment and support. I would not be able to accomplish my goals for the children and the youth I would also like to thank my family my loving wife Naree My two sons Brandon and Bryce My sisters Tracy, Dynette and Brittany my main inspiration is the Lord's ball Who's my grandmother through marriage? She's taught me a lot She's been an educator in San Francisco for many years and she doesn't know how much I look up to her Also, I'd like to thank my mom's Shirley Monroe and my mother-in-law Cheryl Austin Without that support system the things that I do in the community just would not be possible Thank you again, and I will treasure this award for the rest of my life. Thank you And now I'd like to introduce our next fabulous awardee Mrs. Pritchard She who has the power to open the womb and has done great things for all of us Holy is her name her mercy flows through mother-to-daughter from generation to generation Her maternal strength strikes at the root of evil She pushes the proud from the pinnacles of power and she lifts up little people big people old people young people She lifts us all up. She feeds her hungry daughter for those who are filled to the brim with opportunity She sends away she soothes all who turns to her Remembering her compassion. She keeps in her promise to her progeny forever. Let me talk about Mrs. Pritchard She's worked for a HRC since 1999 with the asthma program If many of you live in the Bayview community all of our children have asthma why because they set up all kind of industrial plants in our areas and Usually they're with the poor people and so her work is fabulous She this lady will not only help out the parents of people with asthma But if you call her in the middle of the night, guess what? She gets up out of her bed and she comes to you. Let me hear now shave for that cousins Now how many of you will get out of your warm bed to help somebody else? She is a heroine in the community before she started what working at HRC She was a parent volunteer at Charles Drew elementary school and she also Volunteered at the homeless shelter. She lives in Bayview Hunters Point now and her goal is she wants to the community to grow In better ways and make our people have a better life and that is the way she lives her life So lift your hands up cousin and give her a proverbial hug. Come on up, miss Thank you. I don't have a speech prepared. So this is coming from my heart Wow, this is Thank you for this award First of all, I'd like to thank God I had an accident recently I felt on the steps and They wanted me to stay home for a couple of months, but I told my doctor my children need me Okay, I work with children that have asthma and I don't know if any of you guys know But in Bayview Hunters Point, we have a lot of children that suffer with asthma I love my work. I love working with children. I love working with people And I just want to say thank you and I'd really like to thank Vanny Pham and Laconte deal who are my two co-workers who nominated me for this award? I want to thank the committee and all of you and everybody in the Bayview Hunters Point community for all the support and My two children Fred and Tiffany Tiffany came up from Sacramento to be with me today And I really really appreciate that. So thank you everybody Let's put our hands together to wish her a speedy recovery. Thank you so much for putting out the effort and coming here today Now I want to talk to y'all cousins. Hello. Are y'all still there? Okay, okay, I'd like to talk to you about a couple who has learned to work together Not only have they worked together living together and raising children, but they do social work together Can I hear an ah shea for that? Because you guys know how hard it is to have a relationship Don't you come on? Ain't nothing easy about that proposition But when you can work on it and you can support the community, I tell you you've got my admiration for good and for sure Curtis and Berlin Davis take the phrase. I am my brother's keeper literally They constantly demonstrate this as individuals and as a married couple They have always helped the loss to forgotten and those just needing a little comfort of assistance Many men women and children have been touched by their lives Curtis and Berlin will say though it that though it is they who have been touched and there's 70 plus years 70 plus years President Bush would bomb people and say shock and awe that shocks and awes me 70 whole years so During the late 70s and 80s if they didn't have a place to go and feed the homeless they packed up their camper They put food in it They got volunteers to come and they fed people who would not have a warm meal if it wasn't for them That's amazing y'all It makes you feel like getting up early on Saturday morning instead of hitting the alarm clock and grabbing the pillow a little bit longer Okay, and I would like to also let you know that they were with the Providence feeding program And they're committed to their church, which is the Providence Baptist Church in San Francisco Bayview district I'm finished talking because I'm just overwhelmed So y'all just let them come on up and give them a warm warm welcome, please But to God be the glory For the things that he's done in our lives Just to be nominated Darius Benson and the committee we would like to say thank you But it wasn't done for what we're standing here now for my husband and I have been married for 49 years To God be the glory again But we have a sister-in-law out there's going on 64 years so And they have been our mentors All along we have three children six grandchildren and We're just grateful. We have a lot of children throughout San Francisco That has come to live with us and to get themselves together So just God is good. I want to thank the people who's Responsible for this It's such a blessing to To have someone to honor you when you the work that you do that you not Anticipating, you know, you just enjoy what you're doing and God has Chosen see it. That's the way it is. God works through people and So happen so happen I Was available to God and God chose me for a ministry But when God Does that when people see me They should see God Working in the lives of people they should see the love of God Be inspired it because God chose as people ordinary people like you and me People who's willing to do as he command So the question is that sometime we have to ask ourselves or we are available to God and See God can use us. So it's just a wonderful blessing here if I could sing I got a song that I should would sing But I'm not a singer, but I just give God all the praise to God be the glory for the things he have done God be the glory. So I thank you so much I'm tell you then those are the our mentors. That's what I want to be when I grow up I got to believe in many lifetimes because I don't know if I'm gonna make it on this lifetime, but I'll show try You know what? Do you believe that it takes a village to raise a child? and Do you love your children? But do sometimes not all the time That's just sometimes Thank you. They make you a little irritated and isn't it a blessing to have somebody else love your child? Because it does take a village to rate it raise a child But so our next honoree is has touched my life personally and she has touched everybody She don't touch your heart She grabs it and she squeezes it and you're not the same anymore Because your heart is tighter and it beats a little bit better Because everybody needs a heart that beat just a little bit better. What do you think cousins? So our next honoree is Loretta McBride, but her students want to talk about her So I'd like to introduce Troy Dangerfield and Shaquille and they're gonna talk about Miss McBride. Give them a hand My name is Troy Dangerfield. I'm a music bride. Wow She's a real remarkable woman She changed my life in the lives of thousands of students When I first saw her I didn't think there was anything really special about her In fact, I didn't really like her Now I mean like what kind of a teacher takes you to her house if you don't finish your math homework and then like In fourth grade she told me she I even have her as a teacher and she told me, you know, you should play an instrument I was like, okay, you know, that's cool. I'll play an instrument the violin like what I'm trying to be the cool kid you know and he was a violin and then she so so I started it, you know, it was cool, but you know, I Want to play the violin And so like she so I took up a different instrument the viola It's pretty much the same thing, but like it has a deeper sound so I could be like, yeah And so um and so to this day, I'm still playing that instrument and like it's really It's had a big effect on my life because I mean scholarships and I mean stuff is just coming my way that Like I wouldn't be the man. I am today or the young man. I am today If it wasn't for mr. Bride, so Well If it wasn't for her I wouldn't be playing music at all She made me play the bass It wasn't for her. I probably wouldn't even be in high school right now So She everything where we go. She always embarrass me, but this is my time to embarrass her Well, mr. Bride, thank you for all the help you've given us and Thank you just for being you being the extra mother that you are I really thank the Lord for being here and I don't say that you know with the cliche in mind But I really thank the Lord Jesus Christ for the chance to pour into young people Because that's the richest avenue the richest resource that any of us have is our children and Trent embarrassed me so I'm going to embarrass him back You know he was awarded $21,000 scholarship to go to high school And I'm gonna get Shaquille because he was awarded scholarship to go to UC Berkeley to study with people in a symphony but And they are so special, but you know what's really that the Defining point is that all of our children can be Trent's and Shaquille's off All we have to do is pour into them And I didn't I'm not a speech writer and I love their lecture to children as they could attest to that if we all just Take two children from our neighborhood that are failing in any area And we just make it our business to make sure that they Succeed in one area in such a way that it changes the lives of their family our whole Country will hear about our children. It is our our Paragraph and our responsibility to make a difference in the lives of our children So I really thank you for the award. I really do. I thank Mrs. Dangerfield She's just such a beautiful woman and her family is full of awesome people But so are ours all of us have jewels in our families and it's up to us to polish those jewels And I also want to thank God for those from Fellowship Academy. So if you're from Fellowship, would you just wave? I see some faces out there and I thank you for this wonderful award Remember our children are our future and there are present. So let's take two hands and just make sure they make it to the top Thank you So now I'd like to introduce Bayview zone Praise and sign dancers from SR Martin College Preparatory School put your hands together for our young people Shea Good afternoon Good afternoon. Have your attention We're gonna begin our program. Thanks for bearing with us. We know we're starting a little late We're waiting for all of our honorees to get here. So we will begin now. So good afternoon and welcome to the 15th annual unsung hero awards My name is Linda Brooks Burton and I am the branch manager at the Bayview Watten branch of the San Francisco Public Library Thank you Wonderful library wonderful branch and every year the library likes to take the time to honor those individuals who go above and beyond the duty To volunteer in their neighborhoods whether in their own families or at work or their communities and in the spirit of Thanksgiving we would like to honor these heroes today To begin our program. We have a choir from Castlemont High School who's going to sing first for us Lift every voice and sing they have their own rendition. So please listen and then after they've sung their version We'd like Everyone to stand and sing lift every voice a second time So if you would give a wonderful welcome to these young people the castle ears from Castlemont High School Thank you. Good afternoon Have your attention We're gonna begin our program. Thanks for bearing with us. We know we're starting a little late We're waiting for all of our honorees to get here. So we will begin now So good afternoon and welcome to the 15th annual Unsung Hero Awards My name is Linda Brooks Burton and I am the branch manager at the Bayview Watten branch of the San Francisco Public Library Thank you Wonderful library wonderful branch And every year the library likes to take the time to honor those individuals who go above and beyond the duty To volunteer in their neighborhoods whether in their own families or at work or their communities And in the spirit of Thanksgiving, we would like to honor these heroes today To begin our program. We have a choir from Castlemont High School who's going to sing first for us Lift every voice and sing they have their own rendition. So please listen and then after they've sung their version We'd like Everyone to stand and sing lift every voice a second time So if you would give a wonderful welcome to these young people the castle ears from Castlemont High School Thank you. Good after Good afternoon. Have your attention We're gonna begin our program. Thanks for bearing with us. We know we're starting a little late We're waiting for all of our honorees to get here. So we will begin now. So good afternoon and welcome to the 15th annual unsung hero awards My name is Linda Brooks Burton and I am the branch manager at the Bayview Watten branch of the San Francisco Public Library Thank you Wonderful library wonderful branch and every year the library likes to take the time to honor those individuals who go above and beyond the duty To volunteer in their neighborhoods whether in their own families or at work or their communities and in the spirit of Thanksgiving We would like to honor these heroes today To begin our program. We have a choir from Castlemont High School who's going to sing first for us Lift every voice and sing they have their own rendition. So please listen and then after they've sung their version We'd like Everyone to stand and sing lift every voice a second time So if you would give a wonderful welcome to these young people the castle ears from Castlemont High School, thank you Doesn't it give you the chills to see such talent? God bless you young people. You guys were amazing Hey, I say cousins in this family reunion. Don't let me be the loudest one in the room, okay? Two-term mayor of San Francisco our current mayor Willie Brown has been member of the California State Assembly From 1965 to 1996. Is that right six? Oh, that's a long time He's a member of CalPERS Governing Board for 2000 and as a member of the California State Assembly He was the longest-serving speaker the longest y'all didn't hear me cousins and Only the fifth African American legislator in California history now some of us have a little Sign, you know we sign our name, but our mayor He has a signature and he has signed his name in the history of San Francisco and for that mister We appreciate you. God bless you. I say cousins Don't let them get lazy on you now Here to further introduce our illustrious mayor is a community activist and winner of last year's unsung hero ward Mrs. Doris Vincent. Good afternoon. I Hope I don't take too much time and I hope I don't embarrass our mayor But I believe that God orders our steps and Today this program Have proved that what I'm about to do Might be okay We have a room full of young people We have a man who's standing before us Who came from humble beginnings? And he has soared the number just before He's His introduction shows what we can do If we have a dream We have a vision The mayor doesn't know that I have all this stuff. I first Got to know about Willie Brown in 1962 I Was new to San Francisco and he was running and There I had told miss burden that I had a wonderful picture of him from 1969 I went through all of my stuff. I could not find that picture. He looked like a teenager But here he was running We're in the main library and most of you might be able to see this is meeting Willie Brown in auguration day January 8th 1996 What a city can be by Willie Brown in auguration Willie Brown, Jr. Mayor January 8th 2000 This is one of the budgets From 1998 1999 and if you read the budget you will see that he did accomplish the things that he said he would do with muni Recreation in parks child care and children's program substance abuse treatment services Homeless prevention and programs welfare reform He loves children and The media has not done him fair Because it's the little things that he's done that you've not heard about Many times he was in Bayview Hunters Point for simple things like a bridge program my granddaughter Nyasha went to Charles Drew and he was there for one of their Programs, but this he doesn't know that I have Because I have worked for him over the years voted for him every time he ran I've only done sweat equity. I didn't have money to Do contributions? But I understand that his children put this together I was given a copy and told not to tell anybody so I'm telling now if you don't mind I think if the mayor will allow me to I want to read from his own words Just a little bit about who he was and what he has accomplished Early years I was born and raised in a colored section most of you young people don't know what that is In a colored section. We were not always allowed to live where we wanted to live in the colored section How people in the colored section of many Ola Texas is a little way station on the road out of Dallas and Color is how people like me were referred to in polite conversation During the era of strict Southern segregation known as Jim Crow My family was by no means well to do and my father did not stick around for very long So I was not however Without Advantages and the reason I wanted to read this there's a young man and our man in our audience today Who needs to hear this because his father has not been there for him I? Was fortunate to be surrounded by incredible strong women My mother who worked as a maid to support us and my grandmother with whom my brother sister and I all lived I also benefit from a caring and protective community Grown close and nearly self-sufficient and the face of ostracisms from the rest of society and Family and community made all the difference in those early years They believed in me taught me the values of hard work the importance of education and Nurtured my sense of dignity and self-worth San Francisco bound as I grew To an adult I worked very hard to demonstrate that my family's faith in me had not been misplaced I worked at every odd job. I could get from picking blackberries To shining shoes. I did well in my studies and graduated second in my class in 1951 from Meneola Colored high school. We were not allowed to go To what was considered the white school But the place of my birth was a hostile environment for black folks who were not content to remain in the narrowly confined places assigned to them and so right after graduation I convinced my family To let me move to San Francisco and live with my aunt and Uncle who had settled here some years before I promised my mother That if she let me go I Would go to college work hard and make up proud of me It is a promise. I have struggled to keep in a daily base and I could go on You will be able to find this. I believe on the fourth floor in this library But what I would also like to say if you travel the United States Everyone knows Willie Lewis Brown Willie Lewis Brown has done more for the state of California than any other individual Willie Lewis Brown has done more for Bayview Hunters Point and for the city of San Francisco Than any other mayor so with that having been said with deep respect and Honor the Honorable Willie Lewis Brown All right, thank you very much for that very very kind introduction Imagine Sophie she's reading my own words Back to me and they sounded pretty good. I believe that I can fly I really really do and I think that Even before they wrote that song I believe that I could fly I believe that I could fly because My mother and my grandmother made me believe that they had me believe in that I was an astronaut before I knew that there was But that could be an astronaut they had me believe in that anything that I imagined I Could do and I set that as the stage for the development of my life a When I was told about the unsung Hero Awards today I want to come by Not because of any acknowledgement of me Because I think it's far more important for people who are seldom if ever Acknowledged seldom if ever in the limelight But do so much to make life better for other people And I am just delighted that San Francisco and the African-American community has that reputation has that concept and Executes up on that concept I was out earlier at the Library at out at the Excelsior they are redoing many of the libraries in San Francisco and you would think that We would not be necessarily present at something like libraries, but there we were Seated ready to talk ready to listen and ready to do things that need to be done To make that community a good one. I remember the first new branch of any a library that I had an occasion to cut the ribbon off as mayor of the city was out on Randolph Avenue Oceanview and That you wouldn't think people don't think about libraries in our community. Well, I got to tell you there was no library in Miniola, not at all, but there are libraries here and Believe me library on 3rd Street is used just as a library in Chinatown is used the library on Ocean Avenue Is used just as the library on Sacramento Street? Used and my emphasis has been on Re-establishing and making a permanent home for many of those libraries I was told that when I was mayor that Some of the branches of the library were in rental space And you know what rental space means at some point somebody can take it away from you Well, you the voters followed my leadership We put together a bond program and now we we will own all of the libraries and those are the libraries and Let me tell you the one on 3rd Street one of the things that I've been doing over the last two or three months is Putting together a program that's gonna allow us to build a town center in the Hunters Point Bayview area that town center It's gonna have the cultural component We actually since opera house needs a new foundation Well, we're gonna build a new foundation and then put the put the opera house on wheels and roll it a few feet up The set it on the new foundation so 30 40 50 60 70 years from now But any kind of a quake the opera house will survive like the opera house is gonna survive Downtown seismically upgrading it in the same way and at the same time We're gonna do the rest of it with the community's blessings with the community's input We're gonna make it a whole town center and part of that town center is gonna be a brand new Library with all of the state-of-the-art equipment much larger and with all the community rooms components including Including sound rooms. We love sound rooms We love to participate in sound rooms and clearly for recording purposes We need them. Well, those are the things that I dream about those are the things that I think we can fly together And produce and I am really pleased that you've allowed me to be your mayor For so many years and I know this is not political But I guess I should up front tell you that I'm supporting Gavin Newsom for mayor of San Francisco And I won't make any bones about it the whole business of making sure we continue to fly and continue to soar Says that as a political leader, I'll let you know what I'm doing I'm supporting Gavin Newsom for mayor and I'm supporting Kamala Harris for district attorney of San Francisco And believe me these two young people when the process will continue the process will continue Move in the direction that it needs to move for all of us. I thank you for allowing me to interrupt the program I think the young people for rendering that song. I believe that I can fly. That's my theme. That's my life That's my goal and that ought to be all of your themes your lives in your goals. Thank you Here's your award mayor Willie Brown. We're proud of you and we love you Cousins, did I tell you how much I appreciate you lately? You are absolutely phenomenal. Can you give yourself a hand? We are going to continue the momentum. We're going to skip the 10-minute intermission and Because we're going to skip the 10-minute intermission. I promise you we're going to feed you afterwards Some really wonderful food. We're going to have a Gastronomical treat you guys So let's say ha shea. So no 10-minute break. Don't go nowhere Because we have an award that just touches my heart We have a Nola Maxwell Can I get a hand for a Nola Maxwell? She fought in some of San Francisco's most important progressive campaigns from the battle of district elections to the struggle to limit office growth in San Francisco and she will be remembered as a tireless leader and a passionate community activist Nola Maxwell devoted most of her time providing improving the lives of the neighborhood children a Fixture of the paternal here community Maxwell is best known for founding the paternal here Neighborhood house come on y'all put your hands together She also served on the neighborhood of the Bayviews Hunters Point She and recent remarks by our Fabulous mayor willie L. Brown Who who appointed her to the Commission in 2000? He honored miss Maxwell as a pioneering spirit in the Senate in the city's african-american community Not only was she a fabulous community leader, but she had a most wonderful daughter She her youngest child is Supervisor Sophie Maxwell. Okay, cuz it's time to get cited. It is time to get excited Miss miss Sophie Maxwell has also given every single one of our awardees tonight a Proclamation and we thank you from the bottom of our heart for that so Unfortunately, Nola Maxwell Is no longer physically on this planet, but her spirit soars so high and the legacy She left behind is a tribute to every single one of us and we're clapping the heaven you guys Clap on up to heaven Please Sophie come up and accept the word for your mom Give her a warm welcome y'all Thank you all so much Awards do a lot. I've accepted. This is a second award. My mother has gotten this week And so I'm thinking these people are trying to tell me something You know because every time I get an award for her it makes me understand and realize How important commitment is and integrity is and caring for people and when you do it goes far beyond your life here on earth It goes beyond and so it makes me have to do the same thing. She's putting a lot on me I'm telling you guys have been a lot on me But I it's no more than I can bear and no more than I should so I want to thank you so much for these awards And it really helps me make the tough decisions that I have to make it makes me think and ask the most important Question and that is how does it affect people and in every decision I make that's what I have to ask myself How does it affect people and I keep my mother on my board and so she's always telling me something She's always telling me something so again I want to thank you for this award and for all of those people who get awards Remember they go a long long way They touch everybody that's in this audience because people are thinking I will get an award one day So again, thank you and congratulations to all of you So now we have a special treat Charles Shaw is a native of Houston, Texas He's come he has completed both national and international and speech and debate compositions as well as culture and mendered youths on The importance of effective communication. He's currently working towards his PhD in organizational psychology cool At the California School of Organizational Studies at the Allian International University, so if you could please welcome Mr. Shaw Come on down. It's your turn Let me just first say that I am extremely happy to be here and that I love black folks Some say that our history began in the middle of an ocean in the belly of a monster at the mercy of Demons Others say that it began with a hammer and a nail and that we laid our bodies down and raised cities along our spines But I say that it goes deeper than that Deeper than the cotton fields and the human cargoes and a thick and heavy links of a history that we are constantly trying to replace to desire The urge that stirs you in the middle of the night grabs you by the spine and jerks your head up right it is at this moment of unrest that we realize What we must do Which is to gather ourselves up and move 100 years later From the souls of black folk a forethought by W. E. B. Du Bois Here in library many things which if read with patience may show the strange meaning of being black Here in the dining of the 20th century This meaning is not without interest to you gentle reader For the problem of the 20th century is the problem of the color line. I Pray you then receive my little book in all charity studying my words with me Forgiving mistake and foible for sake of the faith and passion that is in me and Seeking the grain of truth that is hidden there. I Have sought here to sketch in vague uncertain outline The spiritual world in which 10,000 Americans live and strive First in two chapters. I have tried to show what emancipation meant to them and What was it's aftermath and a third chapter I have pointed out the slow rise of personal leadership and Criticized candidly the leader who hears the chief burden of his race today Then in two other chapters I have sketched and swept outline the two worlds within and without the veil and Thus have come to the central problem of training men for life Venturing now into deeper detail I have in two chapters studied the struggles of the massed millions of the black peasantry and In another have sought to make clear the present relations of the sons of master and man Leaving then the world of the white man. I have stepped within the veil Raising in that you may view faintly its deeper recesses the meaning of its religion the passion of its human sorrow and The struggle of its greater souls All this I have ended with a tale twice told but seldom written Some of these thoughts of mine have seen the light before and other guys For kindly consenting to their republication here in altered and extended form. I must thank the publishers of the Atlantic Monthly The world's work the dial The new world and the anals of American Academy of political and social science Before each chapter is now printed stands the bar of the sorrow songs Some echo the haunting melody for only American music which wailed up from black souls in the dark and past and finally Need I add that I who speak here and Bone of the bone and flesh of the flesh of them that live within the veil and The final selection comes to you from Dudley roundel a hypothetical conversation between W eb and Booker T It seems to me said Booker T It shows a mighty lot of cheek to study chemistry in Greek When mr. Charlie needs a hand to hold the cotton on this land What stick your nose inside a book? I Don't agree said W eb if I should have the drive to seek knowledge of chemistry in Greek. I'll do it Charles and miss can look another place for hand to cook Some men rejoice in skill of hand and some in cultivating land and there are others who maintain The right to cultivate the brain It seems to me Said Booker T that all you folks have missed the boat Who shalt about the right to vote and spend vain days and sleepless nights and uproar over civil rights Just keep your mouth shut and do not grouse, but but work and and save and and buy a house. I Don't agree said W eb For what can property avail of dignity and justice fail? Unless you help to make the laws they'll steal your house with trumped-up claws Our ropes as tight our fires as hot No matter how much cash you've got Speak soft and Try your little plan But as for me I'll be a man It seems to me said Booker T. I don't agree said W eb Thank you. Oh my goodness. That was amazing You know what I'm gonna send his mother a mother's day car because she did a good job on that boy This is for your mother God bless her wherever she is I Tell you when you think about having a little boy child, that's what you want to come out Although we're happy with what we get ain't we And then I wanted to I wanted to quote a little bit from the prophet and Then there are those who have little to give and give it all These are the believers in life and the bounty of life and their coffers is never empty There are those who give with the joy and the joy is their reward and there are those who give with pain and that pain is their baptism and There are those who give and know not pain in giving nor do they seek joy Nor give with mindful of virtue They give as in yonder Valley the myrtle breath is fragrance into space It is well to ask to give when asked but it's better to give unasked through Understanding and to the open hand the search for one who shall receive is joy greater than giving You guys know who I'm talking about miss glorious Jackson Finish talking about miss Jackson yet. I'm not finished with you yet miss Jackson She's been a resident of all hollows community a senior apartment building for 17 years Now if you lived in this building you wouldn't have to ask who miss Jackson was Because when your head hurt and you could not get out of that bed She would be right there with a big old cup of soup and a nice warm hand and some great cheerful thoughts When they're hospitalized and you don't have no more family guess who you get to see You get to see miss Jackson because she's there at the hospital with a few flowers and her warm effervescent smile Just like the effervescent bubble always rise into the top. That's you miss Jackson Before I get too much sillier you come on up here and get your award. Come on Don't she look beautiful? I'll share cousins. Thank you so very much Over y'all gave me and I left all my friends here today As I glad sister gracious told me about that And I love to cook a lot to make soup and not to visit people at the hospital And I like to do that, but long time ago. I used to babysit And I came babysitting now right down in my back And sometimes I go to my granddaughter high and spin and now and she told me tell me to keep the baby Until she get back I said her bath that baby get on my nerve I said long time ago. I used to keep you. I say I'm too old now baby sad And I want to say thanks sister grace to tell me about that Okay, thank you all too Doesn't it give you hope for the future to see all these seniors as leaders? So don't get lazy on me cousin cuz I don't care how old you are You can still contribute to your community The present tense cannot be spoken fluently unless we first speak honestly about the past For the for the past three years. Mrs. Dolores games McGee has been a member of the coordinating committee of the James Bird racism oral history project James Bird was dragged through the streets of Jasper, Texas by three white supremacists five years ago in response to this horrific horrific hate crime a Group of San Franciscans started interviewing people about racism in America And as of today the project has gathered 1000 oral histories can I get an ass shave for that? The whole the oral history project was a response to the Jasper tragedy in a way to memorialize mr. Bird She has been a scout for seven years Wow She's been an assistant scout master of pack 123 She served on the OMI ocean view Merced and Ingleside community as a board member She She worked in Vicks Verks She she put herself in harm's way Because you know sometimes when you do something that is right The community went out of firm it because there's always fear hidden in there fear of what it'll do to them and fear of what it'll do To other people, but we have a heroine here because she didn't let fear stop her Not any not whatsoever. So please welcome. Mrs. McGee a longtime member of the National Council of Negro women's Golden Gate section, please Fabulous fabulous person. Thank you so much Good afternoon It's an honor for me to be here today along with the other awardees It's a long long road getting here when I was a teenager My mother I learned how to do all of these things from my mother My mother was an activist in the community. She worked in the school. She worked in the church Well, I decided that this was something that I didn't want to do and as a teenager I voiced my opinion, which was the wrong thing to do Every project my mother had after that I had to participate When I came to San Francisco, I grew up in Vicksburg, Mississippi. I went to a segregated school So when they talk about Mayor Brown being in a segregated school, I know exactly what He means by that in some respect, but to me learning Regardless to what environment you're in reading writing respect for teachers is the same in any school and that's what we were taught we were taught that We are not supposed to bow to anyone. I learned that at 16 when A professor from all corn University came in to speak to the class before me and I had to usher at that graduation and her speech was we are not to bow our heads Backs to anyone and from that moment on I was total terror. I came to San Francisco and When my children were born, I made sure that I became very much involved in their school My kids went to Jose Ortega. I was President of PTA working with Jacqueline Scott who is present here today the first family and Mrs. Mildred Scott. They're the first family I met when I came to San Francisco. They're here to see me get this award I went on to work with the scouts which is a good organization and more people should enroll their children because What it does is build character and Usually when I was in my uniform The first thing guys would come up and say to me. Oh, you're one of those den mothers. I Would always point to my sleeve I am an assistant scout master and underneath it said trained After that they didn't want to talk to me but as long as I was a den mother everything was fine. I Wanted to thank the scouts because they sent me for my training at Procedure Army base I got further training at Contra Costa College and little did I know that when I would go to The classrooms we were in a seminar all day long When I got there there were no women. I was the only female and they would all say we have been waiting for you So that was an experience for me Dealing with the National Council of Negro women I joined that organization because two sisters from my hometown were members of the Golden Gate section They kept inviting me to come and join the organization. You need to come and join the organization Oh, I said oh, I get around to it But when I was a kid my mother would always show me pictures in the jet magazine of Dr Dorothy height and the National Council of Negro women and When I got a chance to join the organization I did it because my mother was so interested in that organization and I would like to thank that organization for allowing me to be Their second vice president their first vice president and And I would like to thank them for allowing me to work as their project Coordinate them with the AIDS Foundation in July We March walked in that AIDS walk in San Francisco and we were among the 10th Non-profit organizations as far as funds were concerned. So we got a recognition award from certificate from the AIDS Foundation When Mayor Brown was speaking about the OMI Library We had an incident. I was I'm getting up in age as you can see by my gray hair And so I was thinking that maybe now I don't have to do as much work I wanted to go and do a few other things so I had cleared my slate to work on some other projects and We had just gotten the library built and a person wanted to Open up a Delicate testing at first and then he said he couldn't make any money unless he had a liquor license and The delicate test and it was on the same block It's only one building between the delicate where he wanted to open the delicate test and and the library When I came home from work that was message on my answer machine Why is it that you weren't at the meeting what meeting and then they went on to tell me what was happening next day I came home. There were they had left something in my mailbox So what I had to do then stop what I was doing write a letter to our supervisor the supervisor once they received the letter they called me back and I Told them that we had fought very hard for that library the library is very necessary in any community Simply because we have elementary schools there. We have child care center. We have after-day programs in the neighborhood So I told the supervisors Representative it will not happen Also, I ended up calling the alcohol beverage and controlled and he said I know what you're calling me about I said yes and it will not happen the Supervisors office Got back to me and they said well We wanted you to know that whatever is going on It won't happen on your street because we have gotten an overwhelming Response from the community and they do not want that and I told her I said well when something like this happened We should be notified. I said we were not notified and they said that they had a few people From the neighborhood who came to the meeting and they didn't want all of us To come down on the guy who was trying to open it. I said oh we weren't planning to come down on him We were on our way to your office So she said oh no, you don't have to do that, but I'm saying that to say this Whenever you are a Community worker you are a servant of that community and servants don't get paid We have long hours and the only thing about this type of work is that you have to love doing it My oh you never know where community service work will take you My work with the Jamesburg Junior Foundation. I have gained a lot of friends Come December dr. Juan Federer will be coming from Southeast Asia Which is in East Timor he lives in East Timor. He'll be coming from Southeast Asia area to meet with the Jamesburg Junior Foundation and When you're doing this type of work You never think you're going to meet certain people and especially when someone comes from halfway around the world to meet you I would like to thank all of you for being here I would like to thank the person who nominated me for this award I'd like to thank my family members who are in the audience all of my friends and all of my neighbors also For young people since we have so many young people here You should really think about getting into community service It is something that is very fulfilling It's the satisfaction that you get from helping other people Because I didn't get here By myself. I got here on the backs of my parents. I Got here about the shoulders of my grandparents and the other ancestors before them I got here on the head of all of my educators. I Got here on the heart of all the people who love me and I got here by the hands of those who reached to pull me along with them So I'd like to thank you for this award and make God bless all of you To the lowest on the behalf of the Golden Gate section Your sister's in love your sisterhood. We want you to take these flowers and let them glow As beautiful as you are What is it take a few minutes to recognize the two The only two black Schools in San Francisco. We have Elizabeth. Is that Holcomb? Could you stand up and miss McBride? Can you stand up one more time, please now these two are there? There's only a couple of black schools in San Francisco They're way underfunded and they're way under resource But we have the greatest people in the world there cousins wake up and give them some Lashay's You guys do a fabulous fabulous world almost single-handedly There's some private schools where they have circles of people that give $15,000 one person but these these schools don't get any resources at all And we're asking of the community that when there is something in your community That's rising up bringing up people just like you to support them and on that note Fellowship Sunday for the black Nativity is coming up on Sunday December 14 2003 at 4 p.m.. And cousins We're gonna have another family reunion there. So I want to see all your faces Otherwise I'm coming over Y'all don't want me to come over because I don't leave Talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk our last our very last Distinguished absolutely phenomenal beautiful gorgeous outstanding Helen Habersham Helen I'm gonna talk about you now Maya Angelou say says that giving liberates the soul of the giver the giver is as enriched as the recipient and more Important that intangible but very real psychic force of good in the world increase Miss Habersham you increase the good of the world and we want to recognize you today She's been involved in setting up the elder abuse victim service program in Hunters Point She's a member of the San Francisco Organizing project a dental committee for affordable housing Education and health care because if you live in San Francisco, there is no affordable housing Can I hear an OSHA? She organized a food bank at the Milton Myers and Hunters Point She volunteers. She's active with the Bethel AME Church of San Francisco. She's got a senior ministry Program, what do you sleep? And do you babysit? Oh, we'll talk about that later. I One of her nominees said that she personally fills Miss Habersham is an inspiration for young people And seniors alike. She's never known her to say no if asked to be an active participant in a project She is going to be there live and in color fabulous beautiful and excellent you go miss Habersham You come on up here and get your award Splendid in her hat look at that Isn't she lovely? This has been a wonderful afternoon. I Was waiting for the ten minutes Intermission and I was thinking I was going to grab my group and go out the back door After I got here, I couldn't figure out why I'm here I've heard so many wonderful things said so many wonderful things are going on and I love you guys on October October the 21st, I had a chance to do the dance and I did my dance So that's why I was ready to get up and join you But I could not remember why I was here. I felt like I should have been someplace else and But I am grateful that I came I didn't know You had all this information On the way from on the way down here today the director of music says what do you do and I was trying to explain it to him. I was thinking. Oh, I didn't know I was doing all that But I'm just grateful that I can do it. There's a whole loss of 76 year old ladies who can't So I just I'm just grateful that I can and thank you very much I say I say miss ever sham I say I say You know, I know that Renee Coleman is here. She's a past winner of the unsung heroes Renee. Can you stand up? Oh Congratulations past awardees. Do we have any other ones in the building? Okay, I see one right there. Oh, I see miss Vincent and your name sir Mr. Man oh, I remember I had to see you again Okay, well, we have another very special treat. We're gonna We're gonna have the castle mountain the choir sing for us. You guys are phenomenal. Did you know that? You make me proud to be alive. You guys are phenomenal. I know I'm gonna see you all on star search If that's where you want to go Go, okay. I'll be there And I also wanted to thank you I wanted to thank you for your presence today because without each and every single one of you It wouldn't have been as wonderful as it has been. So can you give yourself a hand and give yourself a hug too? Because I won't be able to get to all of you. Go ahead hug yourself And I also wanted to take my an opportunity to say my little goodbyes right now because You guys don't money many of you know me. My name is Veronica danger Phil. I've done stand-up comic before but you probably don't know that by now I Am I have a unique experience because I was raised in Tokyo, Japan See I'm my on my own race. I'm black and ease. I was initiated from Tokyo, Japan to Mount Pleasant, Texas And boy, did I have a language problem? Nobody in Texas spoke English on a more serious note I am gonna be having a show coming up in 2004 since I gave up my My reproduction queen I was reproduction master 2001 and 2000 and Can't have no more children unless they get a whole folks home in a nursery They don't typically mix those two But anyway, I'm gonna have a show coming out and it's gonna be really fun And it's gonna be really light and it's gonna be extremely silly and I'd love to have you all there So just look forward in the newspaper Or you can look at me walking down Third Street talking about my show Probably be more of the second than the first So I'm gonna read you a little poem from Daisy Wogg. It says I'm to an English friend in Africa To be grateful for the freedom to see others dream bless your loneliness as much as you drank of your former companionships All that you experience now will become moods of future joy. So bless it all Do not think your way superior to another do not venture to judge but see things with fresh and open eyes Do not condemn but praise when you can and when you can't be silent I say praise when you can and lift up everybody lift your hands up I'm lifting you up cousins every single one of you bore my arms tired Time now is a gift for you a gift of freedom to think and remember and understand the ever-perplexing past and to Recreate yourself anew in order to transfer time Live while you're alive learn the ways of silence and wisdom learn to act learn a new speech Learn to be what you are the seeds of your spirit learn to free free yourself from all things Remember that all things would happen to you are raw materials endlessly fertile Castlemont come on up. I love you. I love you. I love you Have a great time. Thank you so much for coming. See you next year Cousins come on Thank you, Castileers. That was wonderful. Let's give them another hand. Nice to see young people Doing the tradition of our music. Thank you very much That was wonderful. I'd like to in closing take a few seconds to just thank the adults some of the adults and these young people's lives who have taken their time to teach and school our young ones and So Miss Valley towns would you come up and just accept a rose from us? Thank you very much She is the director of the castle air and miss Libby Cole Holcomb Who has done such a wonderful job with the praise-and-sign dancer? I also like to give a rose to our veteran emcee miss Veronica danger feel for a wonderful job And I'd just like to take a moment to thank some of the people who have helped in putting this program together I hope you've had a wonderful time. Is this the first time for many of you ever been here before? Well, I hope that you will come every year. This is our 15th annual one This was a program that began at the Western Edition branch 15 years ago and about five years ago. We brought it out to the main so that everybody could enjoy it So, thank you so much. I'd like to thank my fellow librarians who helped put together this program Channada Jackson Loretta Dowell and Stuart Shaw I Also like to thank miss Miriam Paves and our selection committee who helped select this year's Winners candidates and she's sitting in the back. That's the lady at the guest book. I Like to thank Marcel who's been taking pictures around here. Thank you so much myself for coming and doing that And I like to thank our AV department which consists of Joan in the back there and Erica on the side who've been videotaping our performance and Hopefully in a couple months, you'll be seeing this on channel 26. It'll be on television. So look for that Okay, so and last but not least I'd like to thank the National Council of Negro women who have put together a Wonderful reception for you as you leave so please go by and fill yourselves up with wonderful food And again, thank you so much for coming out and we've enjoyed it. Bye. Bye