The first friday of february to kickoff the program you all have programs in our seats and well be following that program with one exception at the outset here and well move through that as printed. On behalf of the board of board of directors of Historical Society and members again welcome to this celebration of black History Month. As you know any of you know black History Month was started by carter he Organization Association for the study of africanamerican life and history. It begun in 1926 and while a lot of us intend to think of black History Month begun there if carter woods startup the process of the black History Month was the bringing together of a number of activities that had been going on for years prior to 1926. So the celebration of black History Month week began in 26 and evolved to black History Month that. One of the interesting points about the gunning of black history slash month that carter woods had in mind not just the celebration on a particular day and particular point out but a culmination of all the activities and his interest to encourage the study of africanamerican history throughout the year. And the teaching of africanamerican history throughout the year so thats again, a binging point to that a year of this process of educating ours about the history of black americans and the presence of africanamerican decent and others of africanamerican descent isnt with that, again, i will mention in your program on the bark the negro anthem for those who like me who mumble on the third and second verse we live acknowledge the reality and the Board Members to come forward to talk about the dedication of this program and then shell be followed by the invocation so ginger if you would please clapping. good afternoon. The Society Board resolved to honor our long time friend and member ms. Hilda robinson by dedicating the for us black History Month to her and included a small imagine one of our iconic painting grieving her family was gracious to let us use it image and be assured the size of that image that short message in two no way takes away from our respect and honor of our friend and sister hilda robinson. Human resources daughter romania thanks mayor london breed and representatives of the city and county of San Francisco to the Society Board, and members of the africanamerican historical and Culture Society in those words. Thanks for our recognition and warm embrace of my mother as a resident, a member of the jones memorial and employee of other ruth at t things store downtown. And member artist councilmember haba on the africanamerican historical and Culture Society. The family is forever changed but is basting basting in the memories of a life well lived. We are arranging her collection and figuring out our next steps we know her desire to enjoy as many people though her work. We too are forever changed having known here all those many years. Hilda a lifelong artist started painting at the age of three to the duo day she died and 95 but he was and enjoyed many that things in the artist. Her painting show the joy of black life in colors and pose and settings. And hildas art we see ourselves. It was fitting to celebrate her as hilda in her work showed the black History Month theme. Africanamericans and the artist. Thank you. clapping. good afternoon. I want to invite you to allow youre hardest we approach the throne of grace grars father and king of ages lord of all and god. We honor and praise your name today for our logging kindness and tenderer mercies. The day we cried out to you, you answered and made your people bold with strength and in our souls. As we gather to remember and celebrate the lives and the contributions of those who came before us lord, we invoke your presence this in place and ask you above all will be honored and glorified in our remembrance even in our ponder resistance and finding that then as is now that i live in us and in we live we move and have our very veins without you, we could do nothing so lord over the ages of our stories in the land and our land and thank you, that we sown in tears you allowed us to reap a happy ever after of enjoy that con founded the enemy but you manifest a power in us that still mystifies us this day and gracious father, we ask for healing and supernatural strength and for every injustice we thank you, you weigh the based on and bring justice for the o processed. O youre no respecter off persons we love mercy and walk humble before you to the sound of the alarm of righteousness we sing the song of the faithful and fight the battle for truth and freedom we invite our presence to comfort us as we remember strictly us to carry the light of our gospel of salvation and the treasure of rotation through your son jesus christ and our gain our kingdom come your will done on earth as in heaven now to us who presents us fault also with joy to the only wise god our savior the gore for now he ever more in our name jesus we pray. Amen. Thank you minister please rise and sing the negro anthem led by rose. music . Heaven, sing with the harmony of living. The joy fly high as is sky let it be done as is rolling sea. Negro song full of the dawn taught us and sing the song full of your hope that is present we taught us and the rising dawn of our new day begun and let us see victory is won. Fill love in the day when hope unintelligible , weary come to the faithful with our father god. We have come over unintelligible . We have come unintelligible out from unintelligible still we stand at last where the dream of unintelligible sea god of our silent dream let us come unintelligible let us come to the light and keep us forever in the unintelligible music . Shadows underneath may we forever stand through true to our god to do our native land clapping. thank you, hey. Its our cuss tomb and to have words of wisdom and guidance from our mayor to come forward and talk talk about where we are and what were to do a 2k4r8d to have london breed to come up and share a few words clapping . Good afternoon, everybody. This is a kickoff for black History Month in san jose yelling . Lets like were at at h c u in homecoming and why is it so significant . Earlier today, i was across the street at war memoriam building we are welcoming the historical black colleges and universities in the south and the east coast to San Francisco with a pitching two some of local university including you thought of San Francisco and uscf and others while they are providing housing, and classroom spaces and also an opportunity to not only support the students from those institutions but an opportunity to measure that black kids in the city is a chance to participate or be involved and learning about the significance of those universities what we meant for generations to the Africanamerican Community we kickoff black History Month im really excited to be here today because there are so many activities and programs yes, we will have fun and will be celebrations including a big celebrations here tonight after a day full of activity and programs with none other than the dj at city hall because when were doing the work we know that the need to come together a and socialize and bring people together in the community is also important. This years theme centers around the arts i know an amazing bay area art will be recognized for her colorful extraordinary artisty and had a chance to work with her as the executive director of culture complex and would participate in the art of this was as an exhibit for the africanamerican complex at fort macys is great to see you here and hearing from our director of Culture Affairs for San Francisco in a little bit. But i want to take this opportunity to appreciate people like dr. Hopkins and al wi78z and the africanamerican Historical Society. clapping. it is one thing to put open an effort and think consistent in the work to recognize and preserve is achlt history and culture in San Francisco and talking about all the things in our history and recognizing how far weve come some things i am to highlight looking at the audience didnt go u. S. Bancorp noticed the city is run by black people. And when i say the city is run by black people clapping. ciisac notices just the work as mayor and the shoulders i stand on the second africanamerican to represent this community and by it didnt go unnoticed to me we have is a black police chief and District Attorney and in the Fire Department and and black women leading the status of women clapping. so many of our commissioners and our leaders and i appreciate your leadership and your support for our elected leaders to the board of supervisors as well as the City Attorney and our city administrator those who are joining us thank you so much for your work and advocacy and the port of Africanamerican Community in San Francisco. You know, people constantly talk about this community in a way that reflected what we dont have San Francisco has the smallestist africanamerican population have gone from at the height in the 1990s to over 24 percent the population to now here in for us to less than the 6 percent but im the type of person not seeing the glass half empty but full San Francisco has made a tremendous investment every 60 million every year based on a lot of the talent and despairs in the community we are finally started to see progress and seeing progress for people born and raised black people in the city and county of San Francisco have the chang chance to purchase their own homes where we grew up in not for the initiative we are seeing two businesses people and friend of mine started out of the trunk of any car has his own establishment along the Bayview Community those businesses were shuttered for years and now theyre a lot of incredible businesses are thriving because 6 little investment were making with the initiative and seeing investments in the nonprofit organizations, and just when we talked about the way i talked about the potential of bringing in a black west coast here in San Francisco. clapping this work is transformative and this work is for and this is are working im not give up to move the Africanamerican Community here in San Francisco forward and express my appreciation to each other for joining us today for all your 12r0er8d work and lets not celebrate black History Month today, and the month of lets make sure a highlight of our conversation three hundred and 65 days a year clapping. theyll be a whole bunch of activity if city hall to the bay area to the philadelphia more and a lot of neighborhoods throughout San Francisco where will be activity please take a moment to at that particular time in those activities and make sure that you tag half we love San Francisco and when i post all of those things owe people can know about the great things happening in the city and finally, on behalf of all of the city and county of San Francisco i want to recognize the work 6 Historical Society for many years we kickoff this mow today, we are going to officially acknowledge did month of february in the city and county of San Francisco as black History Month in our city. Thank you. clapping. back to you. Lets give the mayor another round of applause clapping. . Thank you. One of the things that um, before she come forward and give us introduction to mention we talk about the history and the long history i happened to be looking at something the other day on the treshth and reminded me that the africanamerican president in San Francisco is not a newer phenomena something for a long, long time and Historical Society is documented as the descendent Literary Society the listy society was an institution created by people of africanamericans back in the 19 hundreds it was one of the first linda libraries established in the city and county of San Francisco and tied that in with the significant population moved to populated vic to brifrt column as a result of complimenting those san franciscans who moved there at that time so a long, long history of africanamerican presence and attraction and with that, like to ask if you coma and give us another song please. Hello there. Can you hear me . Can you hear me okay . I actually had the pleasure of singing an original song that is beautiful happened to be on the africanamerican and arts and creation this song about, about dreams i know a huge part of at least my black experience built upon the dramz all my ancestors had to get me today and every step i have the dream for my children and childrens children to continue on to build up and positive music tribute im going to sing about my dream for my life and childrens life. music . I hope that life will kiss me. I hope that listeners on my tongue. I hope that im still standing. When all the living is deny. And i know that hope could be truelove. I know that im just a girl with a dream. music . And i know the chances i wont because of god there im fighting for. music . I hope that life will hold me. The way a mother holds her child. I hope life will sing me. The square feet life local by a i know that hope can be a truelove. And i know that im just a girl with a dream. And i know that chance that i wont waiver because of god. When im feeling way down, the choices i have made. I know that i cant give up because that day. I must have that day. Sunset my baby and me were looking over the lights life we created and and turn theyre seeing and watching. A tier forms down my face they brush it away and place it in a play. I know that hope could unintelligible . And i know that im just a girl with a dream. I know the chances i i wont waiver. Because of gods day im fighting for music . clapping and id i would be remiss that the kind boarder is her father louis that is doing that great work for us clapping. and turn to the meat of today and as our keynote speaker ralph the director of Culture Affairs was appointed for the San FranciscoArt Commission in january 2021 by mayor london breed and Art Administration and government and a director and actor and screenwriter before joining the commission he was the Deputy Director for arizona and responsible for the senator comprehensive visible arts programming and overseeing the history of museum art engagement and manipulate arts and his bio goes on and on with the major accomplishments but one thing in keeping with mayor london breed and the h b c u activity going on here ralph was born in philadelphia and hold a bachelor of arts degree from Power University and now we had a chat before this came up and m university and mentioned to be National Championship but still love him lets give ralph a a round of applause for coming up clapping. thank you so much. We started from the bottom now were here and started from the bottom now the whole world hearse sometimes like a jungle wondering how people dont go under and a friend of mine said rhymes it went this way greetings everyone clapping. those with lyrics of grand master and dnc three black hip hop legends i want to talk about the africanamericans made to the arts in this country and the Flood Insurance of writers and performers is undeniable and our stories songs and have shaped the fab i can have this when our celebrated our humanity to blues and rock and roll and hip hop it changed music forever and like gordon and others set some of the highest bars in the world yet the gift of black art has not come without a cost theyve burn facing the open presentation and seek to limit the creations and deny our full expression. Figures like paul and nina and Josephine Baker and others found their work boycotted for touching on the madam chair, experience and like James Baldwin win and richard writing taught the racism often found themselves forced into excelsiors and what James Baldwin called the fire next time resonated today as ever and the same poisons like w b and others August Wilson and so many others used the art to advance justice and change hearts and mind their perspective was a threat for the profound impact had we celebrates the contributions of africanamericans that made the music and film and dance we must do so with the knowledge this requires perseverance and we as we carry this artist forward we must continue to foster the truth telling and celebrate and cultivate a new adjudications of black artists our stories are critical to moving America Forward today. clapping. we currently live in dark and troubled time in a country that wants to deny owe our inexperience and actions like black americans are a culture of taxers when nothing could be further from the truth we have consistently given to this country in time of war or fighting for the civil rights through the movement and women liberation and lgbtq or during the covid pandemic black healthcare workers essential workers laid their lives on the line everyday to save others. clapping. our major cities in the United States are literally powered by black and brown Civil Servants go about trying to make peoples lives better and where we would enjoy the netflix and other streamers that is art thats what we do and one of the things we did to that what do we get . Were told slavery was a good thing and should be grateful our history is not important enough to be talked to white children though may get their feelings hurt and the indock in addition to justify mayors which were global Nonprofit Ministry and James Baldwin said the artist is a cleaver of the peace and artists because its produced by the people the people need him amenity like him stone him but his sole robert to bear witness to the people that produce music and this is the responsibility of the artist to bear witness in light face of oh, my goding odds and no secret many black artists have died because of the truth because it is impossible to bear many artists turn to drugs to break in the madness when one lives in a world that degrades and stops someone from being themselves who can blame them. There is nothing wrong what me this is how im supposed to be in a lane of make believe that dont believe in me, im harder broken because of the artist like jackson is no longer with us and fred had a large footprint larger than Michael Jackson and however apprentices and the beatles they showed you part of ourselves and apprentices played in a way that no black artist has done before and unlike Michael Jackson doesnt embrace his blackness but he took it out and skring it around like a increment and davie bowie any and elton john and the list gongs with the stones and the brothers didnt go there and not in that way theyre richer by still. Prince and Jackie Wilson and many others prince was the first post modern black rock star from a generation that was finally free to see black men get through the jungles across the country in a way that is not new Jimmy Hendricks did it to become the greatest gutist and the 350ur7 rain was a organ just of black construction and life in the mid west for culture elements help to stop the deconstruction as a black artist and now in San Francisco ive often of the i lived life in excelsiors born and raised in the black streets of west filling any i was in the thick of that and anything could pop up at any time people were showdown and she got raped and that white boy called me a nigger and ready for battle. Thats just the way black life was in north merchant on the east coast and when i was stations in europe i leeshdz life if have to be mirandize in friction and not dominate with an appearance in America Black first and america second in europe i black first and europe that i couldnt see the trees because of america i was never the same good morning at the returning from europe i realized the streets of filling any conspired to give Little Brothers and sisters a view of the world and in deconstruction only survival racial and and suspect jimmy Health Care Direction and tina turner and david and chick berry and a host of on the potential altitude gained by blacks in this country is with our alcoholic abilities to break through the identification that is freedom. Breaking out of boxes proscribed and crafted in our identity and why america identifies it didnt have a anger narrative and can be pro black and at the same time not one alone black if i could realize life is about that what were experiencing many in country is to come back plex to be summarized with racism and been contained in a cat system accordingly to the wikipedia a task is a cat is an individuals burn one a system of a cat system within such a system individuals are expected to mayor within our cast and to a linked to an occasion and a hierarchy and interacts with others in the system the same system that underneath the nazi learned their practices and philosophy in the u. S. And our countrys jim crow system of cast racial subordination the nazi learned from us. If you havent seen that i encourage you to watch the film origin by david she illustrates in the best seller cast. Artist and culture are sub investor because it holds a a mirror to the commonality sees the is an satisfaction of pain and reflection and black american has turned our existence within the cast into a culture. That is immolated and i do listed throughout the world during times of segregation the sound of the month town blared out of households the same people were listening to diana a ross and or the spiners or nationally king coal when they started in the 60s over time it is very defended for racism to hold on to an idea that he dehumanize black folks an individual know there are no difference between human beings and most of White America lives in segregation white people have the privilege of being able to live their whole entire lives without coming into contact with people of color and month black folks immunization have an affinity with white people to transverse the boundaries and artist binds us together. Art has taught black america to make sync i remembered a day we hardly saw buildings of ourselves in popular media only three channel nbc and cbs and abc im sure you remember that when black person appeared on Television Ever was calling their neighbors black person on tv we watched actors from tv films by format we grew up in segregation i was a who won an oscar in 19 three 9 hats off to any for playing gone with the wind and both were black certainties to white people and since them line denzel washing and haley berry and others jamie fox and regina king and will smith and dabbling and others have gone on to win oscars for acting thats progress clapping. we also won oscars in nonact areas awards the first black lead was diane carol playing and nurse some of you may be too young to remember that but all the families the engineering sons and sanford and son and louis scott junior and Earl James Jones but i would be remiss in the spirit of Chinese New Year and the year of dragon if i didnt mention the idle of ever black idle bruce lee yeah bruce lee San Franciscos own he was chinese you couldnt tell us that we have bruce lee posters on the wall and for turn did dragon and enter the dragon we are there front roadway center watching bring it back to the dais. Lee doing his thing we didnt recognize the difference in between us bruce lee was other in the way we are and saw ourselves in bruce lee he was not welcome like us and role models he filled a void to model. And even without developed racial analysis those black kids knew bruce lee in martial arts films the hip hope and in 199 three in this Chinese New Year the Chinese Zodiac sign well do well to remember that with the anti asian hate that is still going on. President barack obama and michelle knows when we witnessed them and while watching the various award shows i found myself rshth on the place black people were not free to enjoy that and yet black people were not allowed to complete them so white people with graded on curving western finally allowed we saw that winging wards was the whiteness in professional sports before integrated white baseball we are infer in our cant imagine athletes without black excellence and for a second to try to imagine a wormed without jazz, rock and roll the plusses and minuses and r and b and hip hop and rap this is what the world will look like without the attraction of black artists without form. And now to Mission Branch library and currently with either rich history to find the strength to continue to rise culture it can defines us who we are and culture tells us who were that and culture wars is such a political tool. If you allow them to destroy and rewrite history will silence and destroy you, we have come far there is still much more work to do to make sure our culture and art is not lost or forgotten and stans before you a proud father of the university clapping. im proud to serve as your first director of Culture Affairs in San FranciscoArts Commission 9 two years. clapping. since i started in 2021 we are invested over 18 point mower Million Dollars for black artists and art organizations and Culture Centers that is unprecedented and makes me proud clapping. it makes me proud to work and assist fellow artists to thrive in an amazing city like to shows the commitment to help the artists and take a moment to thank a wonderful mayor mayor london breed our arts mayor clapping. and. Her dedication and leadership in support of art and cultures i literally would not be in my role without her lets give it up clapping. in addition id like to thank the deadliest staff that makes our work possible and the commissioners of Arts Commission led by president Chuck Collins there he is right there clapping. id like studio thank all of our arts and culture work in San Francisco from individual arts to communitybased organizations and everyone in between. Thank you all the vibrancy and joy to our great city and al williams the San Francisco africanamerican historical and culture sovereignty inviting me to speak with that, i want to leave you with that. In a dark and trounld era art it the form of resistance and is disturb the comfortable and we do this for ourselves but for the benefit of society as a whole. Just as our ann stares did say it impossible to tell the story without acknowledging and honoring the creative passion of the africanamerican artists. clapping. artists and culture save lives and supervisor peskin our voice is american culture. I want to thank you, for joining my in honoring this legacy we continue to build a just further future please enjoy black History Month thank you, clapping. give it up, give it upcoming clapping. come on give it up thank you ralph thank you so much. Were a little bit over time i know people got to get back to the things one more number that shell do for us. Shorten it a little bit one number and then were out of here thank you to the Public Officials and all the audience been a great afternoon and the Historical Society in Membership Institution on the back of your insert a membership form we encourage everybody to become members of the society we need more people to help us like this program so we have a membership table you can check in thank you for being here. And theo take is out. Bird flying high, you know how i feel, sun in the sky you know how i feel. You know how i feel. Its a new dawn a new day its a new life yeah, its a new dawn its a new day its a new life for me. And wow. Im feeling good, music . Rivers running free you know how i feel. Fish in the. And you know how i feel. Bloemz on the tree i know how i feel. Its a new dawn a new day its a new life, for me. And im feeling good, dragonfly out not sun you know what i mean dont you know. Butterflies you are having fun, i know how i feel. Deep when the day is done a it thats what i mean. Old world is a new world a new world for me. And oh, oh. Stars with you shine you know how i feel. Of the pine you know how i feel. Freedom is mine and i know how i feel. Its a new dawn, its a new day, its a new life for me. And sky river and the trees blossoms on the tree and im feeling good. Good, good, oh, oh, oh, clapping thank you. Shop and dine in the 49 promotes local businesses, and challenges residents to do their shopping within the 49 square miles of San Francisco. By supporting local services in our neighborhood, we help San Francisco remain unique, successful, and vibrant. So where will you shop and dine in the 49 . I am the owner of this restaurant. We have been here in north beach over 100 years. [speaking foreign language] [ ] [speaking foreign language] [ ] [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] [ ] [ ]