School to be named after Bayview’s own Mary L. Booker

Mary-L.-Booker-Leadership-Academy-naming-ceremony-prayer-circle-Bayview-Opera-House-1017-300x200, School to be named after Bayview’s own Mary L. Booker, Culture Currents
Families at the naming ceremony for Mary L. Booker Leadership Academy form a circle to dedicate themselves to providing a better education and greater cultural enrichment for the children of Bayview Hunters Point in the tradition of their very own beloved Mary Booker.

Parents and community members working to open a new school in Southeast San Francisco gathered for a naming ceremony at the Bayview Opera House earlier this month. With hopes of creating a school that embodies the core values of equity and leadership, they chose to name the school Mary L. Booker Leadership Academy (MLBLA).

Mary L. Booker was one of Bayview Hunters Point’s greatest community leaders. She believed in the potential of all children of color. She worked to ensure they received an excellent education and quality mentorship to help them develop into great leaders for their community and beyond.

Through her production company, Infinity Productions, and partnerships with the Bayview Opera House, she created opportunities in the arts that were often closed off to children in her community. She helped them build their confidence and sense of self-worth.

Parents and community members working to open a new school in Southeast San Francisco gathered for a naming ceremony at the Bayview Opera House earlier this month.

We know that today students of color – especially Black students – do not have many quality school options in San Francisco. That is why Terrence Davis, the founder of Mary L. Booker Leadership Academy, is committed to building a school in Southeast San Francisco that lives up to Booker’s legacy as a local leader who embodied excellence.

A graduate of Morehouse College, Mr. Davis has spent his career focused on educating students of color and students with special needs. Guided by this experience, he will design Mary L. Booker Leadership Academy so that every student receives an education that is tailored to his or her skill set and personal interests.

Mr. Davis has spent a year meeting with parents and community leaders in Southeast San Francisco to better understand what the community would like to see in a new school. He has formed a School Design Team, composed of parents and community members, to help guide the formation of the school’s key elements, ensuring that students and families are at the center of every decision.

Terrence Davis, the founder of Mary L. Booker Leadership Academy, is committed to building a school in Southeast San Francisco that lives up to Booker’s legacy as a local leader who embodied excellence.

Mr. Davis ended the school’s naming ceremony by telling the crowd: “What we do for ourselves will eventually end with us. What we do for others will endure.” In the vision shared by Mr. Davis and the parents in attendance, Ms. Booker’s legacy will live on – not only through a school bearing her name, but also through the students who graduate.

Mary L. Booker Leadership Academy hopes to open its doors in the fall of 2019 with grades 6-8. It will eventually serve grades 6-12. If you would like to learn more about the school, please reach out to Mr. Davis, at 650-562-6200, ext. 122.