>> how are you feeling? long hard day, it's so good to see all of you today. i know people had to get through traffic but as i scan the audience, i'm excite today see so many familiar faces. we are here to celebrate san francisco, there on your hill, my city, fair as the queen of ol', supreme in her 7 hill splender, you from your golden gate of gold, facing the orient sun burn and swap in the sunset gleams thrown in ultimate glory, you're a city of mist and a city of dreams. welcome to the 10th anniversary of the closing ceremony of black history celebration of san francisco!

let's give yourselves a round of applause. [cheers and applause] we want you to feel inspired. we want you to feel uplifted and we want to you feel curious about the history of this wonderful city by the bay and how black history is san francisco history. we are celebrating the trailblazers, you know that came from san francisco have been still coming from the gold rush era to wwii. when tens of thousands of african americans including my parents came to san francisco as part of the great migration, they came from the south and the west and midwest. they came for better way of life. they came to celebrate their gifts can and by the end of wwii, the filmore district had

earned the title of harlem of the west. now although the numbers of african americans have dwindled and decreases in years, there is no way no how, that we can erase the proud ancestors who made this city what it is today. [applause] no way! tonight, we will embrace the many colors and hue of those ancestors, they left the stones behind and many of us take for granted as we travel through the city, we don't know where the stones are lead but they are, the stones are there for us to see and tonight i'm going to bring out a few of them. did you know that we had trailblazers such as this amazing gentleman by the name of william alexander lays dwarf. yes, aha, nobody knows who he was.

he was awe brother and in the 1800, he was one of the earliest african americans to come to california. he was one of the founders of this city, yes a black man. there is a street named for him and it's two-block alley between montgomery and samson. let's say it together, lead us dwarf, kind of sounds a little german. do you think they know he really was a brother? anyway, we'll have to do a 23 and me later on. yes, those stones have been laid. if you go to 465 california street, in 11857, there was a california saving land association building. and brenda, you ought to know about this. where is brenda at?

brenda ms. wells fargo? it's now called the merchant's exchange building. and that was a site of the first african-american owned bank in san francisco. its president, a brother henry collins was one of the wealthiest black leaders and owned a lot of land in the city. there is a lot of city history around and if i was a smart person i would get myself a spran and do a san francisco black history tour, you think it would work? is theres a lot of floor to see right now. yes yes yes. we're working on it. you know, covid reek havoc on san francisco and oakland and all near by sdaoez. but you know, that waunz the first time, uh-huh, san francisco was destroyed by fire, not once not twice but seven times in between 1849 and 1851.

if you use your imagination, can you imagine the people there having to build the city all over again? seven times. and each time the people rebuilt, we tried more and more methods and high-tech methods to prevent fire. 1906 earth quick, once again. it happened in 1989 with the earthquake. we've got to learn from our history and we need to learn from our disasters, am i right about it? no? we're going to let the city just mess up? we have to learn from our disasters and learn how those people had a mind to rebuild the city. we're not in a construction era, we're in a reconstruction era. and as soon as we accept that, we can work together to keep dreaming, keep innovating, keep creating, keep fighting not one another but keep fighting for this city and fighting to make it a better city in the future by looking at the history of

our past. and african americans were right there in that history. so i would like to leave inspired tonight and ready to work. because san francisco has long been the inspiration for many people and they're still coming. a black woman came to the city back in the 40s, and in the 50s, they became the first cable car operator. she danced, at the purple onion before moving to san francisco, her name was margarite anne johnson. but once she came here, she realized she had to change her name. and if you close your eyes, allow this voice to speak to you, you will feel her spirit. close your eyes and imagine. >> human family, i know the obvious differences in the human family.

some of us are serious, some drive on comedy, some declare vandalism as true and other claims they really lived the real reality. the variety of our skin tone can confuse, amuse delete, brown and pink and beige and purple and tan and blue and white. i sailed upon the seven cease and seen the land, i've seen the wonders of world not yet one common man. i know 10,000 women called jane and mary jane, i have not seen any two who were really the same. mirror twins are different although their feature jived and lovers think different thoughts while lying side by side. we love and lose in china, we weapon on england's moore and

laugh and moan in guinea and thrive on spanish shores. we seek the sense and finland our born and die in maine, in minor ways we differ in major we're the same. i know the obvious differences, between each sort and type, but we are more like my friend, than we are unalike. we are more alike, my friend, than we are unalike. we are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike. >> wow. maya angelou, ladies and gentlemen. [cheers and applause] and in 1959 she joined live memorial church and made that her home. and here with us tonight we have the glide memorial

ensemble please put your hands together for them as they come. [cheers and applause] [music] hmm hmm hmm, yeah yeah yeah, aha, i feel spirit over me ♪ i feel your spirit all over me ♪ it's in my hands, in

my soul, down in my feet, yeah, i feel your spirit all over me ♪ come on, i feel your spirit, all over me ♪ yeah, i feel your spirit, all over me ♪ yeah, it's in my hands, my soul, my down in my feet, oh yeah yeah yeah, oh yeah, i feel your presence all over me. i feel your presence all over me [singing] is thes in my hands, in my soul, down in my feet, lord i feel your presence all over me ♪ come on choir. i feel your preference all over me. oh yeah, yeah, yeah. i feel the presence all over me.

my soul, down in my feet, oh yeah, i feel it moving, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah yeah yeah, moving, down in my toes, yeah, come on put your hands together. [singing] oh, i feel your glory all over me ♪ aha, i feel your glory all over me. my hands, my toes and down in my feet, i feel the glory all over me. come on choir. >> i feel your glory all over me. yeah yeah yeah, i feel the glory all over me. i feel it in my hands, my toes, my down in my feet.

yeah yeah, yeah, oh i feel your power all over me. i feel your power all over me. it's in my hands, my toes, yeah, down in my feet, i feel your power all over me. come on, i feel your power all over me. i feel your power all over me. i feel it, feel it, oh yeah. down in my feet. i feel the power all over me. oh yeah, i feel it moving. moving all over me, yeah. >> moving, moving, moving, moving, yeah. moving, moving moving, yeah yeah yeah. ooh, yeah, i feel it moving,

moving, yeah, yeah, yeah. oh yeah, yeah, yeah, move, move, move, move, move, move, move, yeah yeah yeah yeah, moving. down in my feet. yeah yeah yeah yeah! ooh, ooh, ooh, yeah. >> aha. >> ooh. [cheers and applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the glide memorial ensemble! do you feel the spirit? moving all over ya? all right! at this time, we're going to ask them to stay and help us sing as all of you stand i ask you all to stand as we bring the black national anthem to lift every voice and sing.

[singing of black national anthem "lift every voice and sing] lift every voice and sing. till earth and heaven ring. ring with the harmonies of liberty. let our rejoicing rise, high as the listing skies, let it be resound, loud as the rolling sea.

sing a a song full of faith that the dark past has taught us. sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us. facing the rising sun of our day begun, let us march till victory is won. sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us. sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us.

face ing the rising sun of our new day begun, let us march on till victory is won. until it's won! >> yes!

memorial ensemble! make us proud to have us sing that anthem. very very proud. it is truly a pleasure to stefsh as your mistress of ceremony. our real guest is london breed, our state controller malia cohen. supervisor shamann walton and new to the committee, our san francisco district attorney, brooke jenkins. it is their vision that we celebrate our small businesses and community involvement of course that is you. and we continue to celebrate those that make an impact in our city. so glad to see representatives

from our fire department, and police department and every agency here. it gives my heart joy to see you in a happy place, not in front of the press, not where you have to deal with all the stuff that we know you have to deal with but you can come and celebrate with us because you very well are part of our city's history too. let's hear it for every one. every one that is here today that are working in the trenches to make our city a good city. and i cannot believe i said our city because i'm from oakland. since i've been here ever year, they might not come back over the bridge but honestly i feel a very strong connection with all of our cities because they're all going through a lot and we all want the best for our families, for our businesses and one another, don't we? yeah. alrighty, our first artist is

going to celebrate here with us, let's see if i got the right notes. yes. he's a hip-hop artist and actor and entrepreneur who includes the message of hope in social justice and everything he does. ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together for stuner o-2! that man o-2! >> thank you, so much, mayor. if you're all feeling good, let me get an oh yeah, okay, so we came to celebrate unity in here and my name is dj west coast, if you don't know who i am, i'm dj west coast i'm o-2 official dejay, we've been coming all through the coast spreading positivity and eating healthy. we have a song called "eat a

salad" and another song that is representing unite throughout san francisco and it's called "big step in" if you've been to a 49ers game, this young man has been one of those pioneers in the community that has been able to push us forward into a new light. but i'm a young person and i see all of this beautiful success and entrepreneurship, i see a lot of my peers in here. i see a lot of people who may be older than me who can show me the way and it gives me hope for me and my friends. i'm 23 years old, out here, you know what i'm saying. so when i see people like the mayor and chief of police, we have the same skin color, he gives me hope that i can be more than in this life. enough about me, we hear for stuner man o-2, you all say with it, steel, steel, when i

say come, you saul say together, come, come, come, everybody right now, i need y'all to get on your feet, i need you to make some noise, we have stuner man o-2, dj can you drop one time for my people. everybody get loud. everybody stand up. everybody stand up. let's go! ha. hahu big weapon ♪ [singing] i need y'all to hit it harder, come on, what we doing hey, hey, put the guns here, finish and i've got to get now. >> we got a bot, just to have some fun now.

[rapping] hey i'm trying to unity but what is the use, want to hear the truth that's why we get money and then we laugh about. reputation and then ask about it and if they got a problem, we got the money. now i'm chilling make it og, 8723, we need everybody to turn come on. [rapping] we be stepping, ah, come on, get it, get it, listen to the a, say go mayor, go mayor, go mayor go. >> go mayor, go mayor, go mayor. >> say go mayor, go mayor go. >> you can cut it up there, you can cut it up there. >> shout out to the mayor. we having fun, shout out to the dj west coast, hey man.

you know it wouldn't be right if you did an event in san francisco without sentimental and still winning it. you all make some noise real quick. before i leave. i do want to do something very special, you know, i don't know about you all, but i love seeing all of these beautiful people. let me take my glasses off. oh shoot! oh wait, running back, he got to convince that too, running back, running back one time, play it again. come on! i'm gig let me see you see your, ah, ah, come on. i'm big stepping, look like ♪ ahah big weapon, come on.

you can cut it there, you all make some noise. hey man, at a bangles going to be my favorite team, shout out to joe. but, i ain't going to keep you all much longer. what i want to do real quick, i know we got some high energy. but real quick, i want to have a moment of sigh license and it's for our black women because unfortunately, our black women they're treated the worse, they're talked down the worse. unfortunately, people are pinning the shape of san francisco on our mayor and she is doing the best that she can. [cheers and applause] you know, what i'm saying. they not talking about all the other gentrification and pushing people out that happened before her rank, so you know, during black history month, let's have a moment a moment of silence if you lost a black woman in your life, if

you have seen a black women that has been hurt talked down on because they not going to tell you, black women graduate college at the highest rate. >> come on now. >> they not going to tell you 60% of success fortune 500 companies have majority black women running it, they not going to tell you all that. so real quick, if you all could, close your eyes and let's have a moment of silence and this moment of silence is going to appreciate our black women. [moment of silence] >> the way they talking about our black women, i'm beg them to stop t beauty in every shape from the light skin to chocolate, try most of these flavors but something about that chocolate got to keep one in my pocket, glowing all that me lonin, underappreciated and

ain't nothing, navigate and seas something like, first they said they haid you and then they said they hate you, man just want to date you, champion how you play it, no way they could equate you, tom brady but they could never deflate you. something about these black women i love them from the start, fabulous in their essence we would never be apart in order to see the light, hi to put faith in true black queens, y'all make some noise for these black women. i go by sentimental too, and if you ever get down and look yourself in the mirror and say, yay! >> yeah, all right. stuner o-2 ladies and gentlemen. i like that, i like that a lot. i'm honored to now officially introduce our host, who has been working hard in our

community to make a difference. the first african-american women and 45th mayor of the city and county of san francisco, work to go create a more equitable and just san francisco, not just for black people but for everybody. please welcome the honorable mayor london breed! [cheers and applause] up next, we have the chief officer of the 5th largest economy responsible for to account for and protect the state financial resources, please welcome california state controller malia cohen! [cheers and applause] proudly representing the san francisco 10th district, invitation valley neighborhoods, please ladies and gentlemen put your hands

for supervisor shamann walton! [cheers and applause] and new to our committee, serving as the 30th district attorney of san francisco no strange tore d.a.'s office, 7 years from 2024 to 2021, where she began doing misdemeanors and handling those cases and later served as a hates crime prosecutor and proud to know that she is a trailblazer in our city, please welcome district attorney brooke jenkins and she is a mom too! [cheers and applause] >> you guys look good tonight. how are you feeling? well listen, i want to just welcome you back one more time

into the people's palace, welcome to san francisco city hall! [cheers and applause] i'm so happy to see you, i'm so glad that you continue to come out to support this event. did you know that this is the 10th anniversary? [cheers and applause] ten years, this event has been growing. and it has been easy, but i want to recognize one woman in particular, dia na roberts right here, you, come on up. come on. [cheers and applause] this is the woman that pulls it altogether, she has been with us nine out of the ten years. nine out of the ten years. she is the one that helps us find the talent and puts the program together and writes the program and does the advertising, you name it.

did you come to have a good time? [cheers and applause] that's good, because we have some history making acknowledgment first. i want you to recognize mayor breed, this woman. [cheers and applause] now i'm not campaigning because that would be illegal but i'm just letting you know i'm voting for mayor breed. i'm not campaigning because that would be illegal, i'm just telling what you i'm going to do so i hope that you will be inspired and know what to do too! [cheers and applause] now i'm not campaigning but another race happening, i'm here to educate. i want you to know that you need to cut through the noise and i'm going to make it easy for you, brooke jenkins is your current district attorney and she will continue to be your district attorney.

[cheers and applause] that threw me off, okay. all right, ladies and gentlemen, so tonight, is a cultural culmination of the african-american experience coupled with the african daispra paying attention to our history and for founders and careful attention to the future. there are a few people that i want to recognize. i want to recognize those that have been walk withing me from the beginning, and that is dj flesh and russell gate wood! [cheers and applause] i also want to recognize ms. miranda who has been emceing for a number of years. [cheers and applause]

all right, i got that heavy lift of recognizing all the folks. we goat lekted here, i want to recognize supervisor mandelman, safai was here, i want to uplift our chief, bill scott, stand up take a moment! [cheers and applause] y'all keep chief scott on top of your prayer list, right there next to your mother. and then i want to uplift and recognize chief of the fire department, nicos! now you know, they vent would not be possible without our wonderful and thoughtful and generous sponsors. i'm making sure that you're

paying attention. i want to, i want to also recognize kaiser permanente, super hernton young coming in at the top of the list. meta, giant, at&t sales force, ucsf, we see you. united airlines, lime scooter, black citizens, brooke field properties, a and a health services, bruce a gat, california barrel company, alaska airlines and last but not least, visa! [cheers and applause] and rounding our a list of the distinguished folks joining us is also chief sheriff paul miomoto, thank you. [cheers and applause] all right, who you want to hear from next?

mayor breed, you're up! >> all right, all right, let's give it up for controller malia cohen the first black controller in the state of california! [cheers and applause] we making history here tonight. let me just say, how excited and proud i am to serve as mayor of such an extraordinary city full of amazing people. full of people that represent the resiliency of san francisco. and that the heart of that resiliency is the african-american community. [cheers and applause] this year's three theme for black history month, centers around the art. and i want to take an opportunity to recognize ralph recommendington who is the director of culture affairs for

the city. [cheers and applause] because fortunately for us, we continue to make sure that through the grants for the arts that we're still investing in and telling those stories of african-american, history makers maya angelou, the first african-american woman that rang the car bells when black people were not even allowed to get on the cable car. [cheers and applause] when we celebrate black history month it is a time to recognize and to reflect on our black history even here in san francisco. because the discrimination that african-americans face in order to get even the four of these amazing leaders up here today into office represents a lot of blood sweat and tears. and i just want to call out a few names like mary helen

rogers and nature mason and a lois west brooke and espino la nina jack on and leroy king and so many trailblazers. there are so many of those people including my grandmother camellia brown who were just one generation removed from slavery and they were the hope of our ancestors as they migrated to california and i look at what we are doing here in san francisco today and asthma i can't angelou talks about the hopes and the dream of the slaves. it's about the ability for all of us to not only lead but to come together. and to work together and continue to buildup our community in way that's lifts every one, not just some of us. not just i got mine and you worry about getting yours is we got ours together. [cheers and applause]

so as we celebrate our history and as tonight, we have a good time too, after dealing with the global pandemic, after dealing with so many challenges in this city, i don't know but but i'm seeing and i'm feeling the change. i'm seeing and feeling the excitement. and i am enjoying every single minute of it. so i want to take this opportunity last but not least to really recognize that while every one else was talking about what they were going to do for the black community, everybody else was talking about how they were going to give free this and free that, you know what we did in san francisco? sharyl davis, you know what we did in san francisco. dr. sai, you know what we did in san francisco. supervisor walton, you know what we did in san francisco.

we created the dream keeper initiative. [cheers and applause] raise your hand if you benefited from the dream keeper initiative? [cheers and applause] a 60 million dollars annual investment in black businesses, black non prove pits, black artist, black children, black organizations, black home ownership, black opportunity black black black black black. so, they can come for me if they want to, they can continue to come for black people in the city this they want to. but this is why it is so important when we recognize our history in this city, that we remember that. because that was not so far away.

just like many of us are descendants of slaves, there are descendents of slave owners that are still very present in some instances and just know that we got god on our side. [cheers and applause] and we going to continue to fight. and we're going to continue to lift up our voices and i'm going to continue to lead this city, to the best of my ability to take care of all people. and never ever ever ever apologize for representing the black community in the way that i do. [cheers and applause] thank you! [cheers and applause]

>> and i'm suppose to follow that? say it loud? say it loued? first of all, i want to recognize all the beautiful people here today. black people give yourself a hand tonight. [cheers and applause] every year we have the opportunity to come together and this is the most amazing celebration that we have in san francisco. always well attended, you always show up and so i'm proud every last wednesday of february, to be here with all of you. i do want to talk real quick, briefly about the fact that, black people are under attack in this city. and i don't care what your degree is, i don't care what your title is, i don't care what class you come from, when you look like us and you walk

in the room that is the first thing they see. period. so the more we are understand that as a collective, the bert off we are all going to be as a community. history has been made on this stage. [cheers and applause] but this cannot be the end of us making history here in san francisco. and so, during black history month, during the celebration i'm going to leave with this, because we all need each other if we are going to affect any kind of change. and spider by it self, is a small bug that you can step and squash with one step.

but several spiders together with the strength of each other when they put their web together, they can tie up a lion and that's what we have to be as black people. we have to be those spiders that can tie up a lion and we have to be that black fist that we raise in the air so proudly all the time. remember that, as we go out here from day-to-day. because this may be black history mobsinger but we need each other 365 days a year! [cheers and applause] and actually, actually, in this case, 366. [laughter] but i love and appreciate all of you, happy black history month. thank you so much for continuing to come out. i want it give shout out to brewy who is another one of our sponsors. and i know mayor breed

acknowledged dr. sai, birch but i want to say thank you both so much for computing the vision and the work that we continue to do here in san francisco. god bless. [cheers and applause] >> so here we go, i'm the newbie as everybody knows. i thought i was already having to follow in big shoes being the second black d.a. after our vice president. but then, i get tasked with going last on stage tonight. followed by our incredible mayor who a pointed me to this position examine i will always be grateful like because she said, she does not only talk the talk, she walks the walks. and she gave this black woman an opportunity to serve the city. [cheers and applause] i'm following behind one of the few

fellow moms in elected office malia who is trailblazer as a state's first black controller. [cheers and applause] and then being asked to speak behind a two-time member of the board of supervisors, so obviously, it, again, i am here to work alongside the fellow leaders in the city to get san francisco to where it needs to be. and i too have to shout out the other black leader in the city who i get to do this along which is our police chief bill scott! there are not a lot of people who do these jobs not for themselves but do it in service to others and let me tell you that is a man who does it in service to the city. and has been the epitome of the way to do it the right way in a

profession that we know has caused a lot of damage in communities but he has dedicated himself to being a prime example of how to do it the right way. and for that, he deserves every ounce of respect. [cheers and applause] and so again, i come tonight just wanting to uplift so many of my job is seen as negative but what we are responsible and what i stand alongside the mayor and chief scott is to keep communities in san francisco safe, to our our community safe. because so often we are forgotten, we are not portrayed of victims we are portrayed as perpetrators and that has to stop. that must stop. so i come everyday trying to bringing a voice to victims who look like us and trying to make sure that our neighborhoods are

represented at the table and our perspective right side heard and hopefully we're setting an example to the next generation of leaders and giving them an image of where they can go and what they can be. so thank you. >> thank you. [cheers and applause] >> mayor london breed, malia cohen, shamann walton and d.a. jenkins. thank you. >> thank you. [cheers and applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, before we all leave the stage, i just want to take a moment to uplift and recognize the world class warriors. because they are also incredible sponsors that have been with us for a number of years. and i also want to recognize

michael d with the registry and that's been our media sponsor for ten years, another black owned business. thank you to our home teams the warriors, thank you to our home team with the giants, we are grateful. keep winning and we'll keep coming. [cheers and applause] >> all right. >> i'm so glad she mentioned our sports team. and up next every time we drive past the or cal plaza and see the bronze statue of willie mays, known as the say hey kid, who i grew up watching and proud that trailblazer is still

with us. he has a wonderful scholarship it's a willie mays scholar and this is a program at the giant's community fund. and because every year, they award five scholars and inducted into the willie mays hall of fame i call it. here to tell us more about it, the representative from the giants organization as well as recipient ricky norris, the young lady will tell us more about herself. put your hands together for nicki and the representative for san francisco giants. [cheers and applause] >> thank you. >> thank you. >> good evening, my name is ricky norris and i'm a senior at june jordan school for

equity and i'm a willie mays scholar. [cheers and applause] i would like to start off by saying thank you to mayor london breed and her team, willie mays, relax, okay, i'm nervous y'all. okay. i would like to thank mayor london breed and her team for allowing us to be here. i would also like to thank my college support team willie mays, dr. martial, 100 percent college prep and of course my parents. this opportunity means the world to me. this is a very big event a little bit bigger than i expected, i'm not going to lie. to have the opportunity to be invited to speak on behalf of the giants and willie mays is a feeling i cannot describe, no pleasure at all.

normally i don't like to talk about myself but i guess that's why i'm here. both of my parents were born and raised in bay view, as was i, i attended schools inside the filmore mission and bay view district and now excelier that sounds luke a lot of neighborhoods. but my parents wanted make sure that i always felt safe in my city. education was not my top priority, yet somehow even covid i ended up on the honor role and african-american honor roll all four years of high school. [cheers and applause] i graduate in 2024 and i will be attending a four-year university outside of california majoring in psychologist and sociology, my goal was to become a teen therapist. covid has shown me in crisis

teen are often left alone to deal with their life on their own. i strongly believe that growing up, we need adults besides our parents and guardian to see keep us and help us to navigate us through life and trauma. with that being said, the future is what you make it. as a result of hard work and lots of anxiety and a support team, i have been accepted to 12 four-year universities around the united states. [cheers and applause] the willie may has made my career not only a dream but reality. i was invested as a willie may scholar my junior year of high school. they help african-american students who want to attend college and achieve a career in educational goals.

before this scholarship, i have to be honest, i knew nothing about baseball, not a thing not a homerun nothing. since i've been a willie may scholar, i still don't care but i totally understand the sacrifice willie may have made and what he meant he must be dedicate today your sport. i'm not going good at sports but i am good at cheering. the giant community fund support each scholar that meets their individual need and they make sure that we are all dedicate today our sport aka our academic. being a willie may scholar has impacted my life with regard to the way i think and feel to my community and the sacrifices made by our ancestor. this program, thanks to this program and thanks--and the support of my community, i will

be a strong leader. i will continue to rise! i will be an impactful role model for my community. [cheers and applause] i will remember how i feel in this exact moment and share this with my peers. this is a lot coming from a 17-year-old, but i know that i recognize that this is important to me because many youth in the neighborhood will be limited based on their skin color where they come from, how they walk, dress and walk and i want to make sure that the black community know that we are more than a statistic and that we can achieve more if we put our minds to it. and nothing is impossible when you are spiritually grounded. before i leave you today, i would like to take the opportunity to thank mayor london breed and her staff for not only giving me this opportunity to share my experience but also to thank

them for honoring willie may not only as a baseball player but as a african-american legend. i truly believe that by acknowledging willie may is a great way to show appreciation for somebody who paved the way and continues to give back for somebody--who continues to give back for the youth despite the modern disparity and discrimination. this tribute is a formal way to bring awareness to an extraordinary man for all that he has done to support the youth in and outside of baseball. to ensure the youth in our community thrive academically and financially and most of all, spiritually. to close out we have something to present the city of san francisco.

i'm getting in trouble, sorry. i got carried away. first we want to thank the city, we want to thank the city for welcoming our stay hey kids with open arms and to you mayor, for honoring willie may scholars like myself. i like to present this san francisco sea lion negro week jersey and of course we added the willie may patch too. [cheers and applause] >> let's hear it ladies and gentlemen, one more time for ricky norris. when she says, a 17-year-old like me, you know, the idea that we fwaukd the people in

our past, but she represents our future and where ever you go, where ever one of those 12 colleges she chooses, she takes san francisco with her doesn't she as a willie may scholar! let's hear it one more time for ricky. we have to continue to encourage our young people. she might not be an athlete but she truly has the heart of an athlete. and those hearts beat strong. up next our next expression will be through song and poetry and we're proud to have a tremendously creative force with us. who art and activism is intertwined. we're happy to have in our city at the oakland school for the arts and along with her, is wonderful mc, she is a poet one is an mc and together they are,

to do a tribute to maya angelou, valerie trout and azila jamenson. please welcome them as they come in their own way. along the way. i am my ancestors wildest dream, i am the song that they could not sing. i am the hope, i am the love, i am the laughter and pride.

[singing] like that we rise. the last of the world is black women, it's boinscy and shine and warm and warmth and with in and without shadows and starlight, we born and eternal. black women is the philosophy of the world, not countries or kingdoms and kings but earth and ocean and oxygen, that of nurtures trees and roots, our tears directly connect to the

ocean, our hearts beat african drum rhythm in time for our footprint, the sway of our hips, our laughter is the song of resounding thunder of defying the odds and stereotype of hope and praise and embracing the rain, honoring the soil from which we came. do you see us? mighty ebony mountain rains, majestic forest, black women are diamond mind. that is built for bearing the weight of time and survival, star bright smiles to light the way home through tribulation hovering comfort and feelings. ted upright at 30 for the cloud, we will be as our

ancestors fought for and still grounded in resilient history, generational strong, just as the earth, we have babies and buried elders, weathered storms and endured the winds of men. what then cannot be broken what is define cannot be undone, the philosophy of the world is eternal existence, it is never being finished in spite of every one and everything, this is black women, unwaivering and perpetually right. [singing] we rise. we rise. [cheers and applause] >> contribute to dr. maya angelou, still we rise.