Earthquake at the Fillmore Heritage Center

Tony-Toni-Tone-performs-at-Fillmore-Heritage-Center-021619-by-Elisha-Rochell, Earthquake at the Fillmore Heritage Center, Culture Currents
Everybody was there when Tony! Toni! Toné! shook the house on Feb. 16, a Valentine’s love fest, at the Fillmore Heritage Center. – Photo: Elisha Rochell

by Ken Johnson

There was a whole lot of shaking going on Saturday, Feb. 16. The Fillmore Heritage Center Equity Partners are causing the ground to shake with the ongoing success of the events they are giving.

This last event shook the entire Bay Area with the soulful sounds of Tony! Toni! Tone! during two packed shows. The shaking started around 6:10 with Global Truth Seeker Dr. Runoko Rashidi. Then it really started to shake around 7:30 when that famous group Tony! Toni! Tone! reached the stage and shook the house all night. Photo by Elisha Rochell <urcapturedmoments@gmail.com>

From the ashes of Redevelopment, Brothers and Sisters are creating a cultural and economic anchor from which Black equity, entrepreneurship and cultural heritage can rise again in San Francisco’s Fillmore District. New Community Leadership Foundation, Hard Hitta Productions and the San Francisco Housing Development Corp. met and formed the Fillmore Heritage Center Equity Partners.

Then they met with community members, organizations, city officials, District 5 Supervisor Vallie Brown and Mayor London Breed and negotiated an activation plan to revitalize the building. This beautiful building had been built to revitalize the Fillmore community, but it never did.

The community was never given the chance to revitalize itself until now. These young Black men are bringing back the spirit of Harlem of the West, giving hope to the hopeless and creating dreams for a better life to those who had almost given up.

Check out the website and become part of this movement. Support the community restoration project for the Fillmore Heritage Center, 1330 Fillmore St. in San Francisco. For more info, go to www.FillmoreHeritageCenter.org.

Ken Johnson, videographer, journalist and community builder, can be reached at kennethj4152000@yahoo.com.