Now or never: Stand and fight for Bayview Hunters Point

Thousands of signatures on the petition to save San Francisco’s Black heartland from a Redevelopment Agency land grab are pouring in, but to reach our goal of 30,000 valid signatures of voters registered in San Francisco, many more petitions need to be passing from hand to hand throughout the city. If you live in SF or know someone who does, call or email the Bay View – (415) 671-0789 or editor [at] sfbayview.com – and tell us where we can mail or drop off some petitions to you.

One of the excuses used by the seven out of 11 members of the Board of Supervisors who voted in favor of the land grab was that our community is divided – even though they knew that the community folks who testified in support of it work for city-funded nonprofits. Well, the signature gatherers are finding NOBODY in Black neighborhoods who isn’t eager to sign – people are lining up to sign – except for one man Willie Ratcliff encountered at Juneteenth yesterday who wanted to sign but couldn’t because he works for the Redevelopment Agency! Juneteenth continues today – a sea of Black folks on Fillmore Street – so come on out, get a petition at our booth and harvest a hundred signatures.

The success of this petition drive will do a lot more than stop the land grab. From the nervousness in the voices of land grab supporters, such as our District 10 Supervisor and the director of the Redevelopment Agency, when they’re interviewed on the radio, and many other signs, it’s clear that the powers that be are already scared to see the Black community after all these years rising up ready to fight.

Appeal for help: In the midst of all this excitement and renewed hope, the Bay View is caught up in our worst financial crisis in years. Due to some unexpected challenges and the chronic failure of advertising income to cover even the most frugal expenses, we need a substantial loan immediately. We have plenty of equity in our property but haven’t yet, despite countless applications, found a lender courageous enough to cross the redlining barrier. Please call us at (415) 671-0789 if you can help. We’re here 24/7. Right now, we don’t know how we’ll get this Wednesday’s paper out.

Several families depend on the Bay View for all or most of their livelihood, others for the means to supplement meager incomes; countless thousands depend on the Bay View to publish stories that light the flame of freedom. We keep asking ourselves how a paper so popular (2,098.670 hits on http://www.sfbayview.com in May!) can be so broke. Is there anyone out there with sales and marketing skills and a revolutionary consciousness who can help make the Bay View self-sustaining? Call us please at (415) 671-0789.

Now please partake in a feast of stories in the latest Bay View:

Now or never: Stand and fight for Bayview Hunters Point by Joe Debro, http://www.sfbayview.com/061406/nowornever061406.shtml

‘Case dismissed,’ says the judge in Congressman Bobby Rush vs. POCC Info Min. JR, by Mary Ratcliff, http://www.sfbayview.com/061406/casedismissed061406.shtml

‘I live here; please don’t kill me’: Demanding justice for SFPD murder victim Asa Sullivan, supporters rally in front of his home by mesha Monge-Irizarry, Idriss Stelley Foundation, http://www.sfbayview.com/061406/ilivehere061406.shtml

Are the levees really ready? by CC Campbell-Rock, http://www.sfbayview.com/061406/thelevees061406.shtml

Not nearly enough by Christopher Brown, http://www.sfbayview.com/061406/enough061406.shtml

Amnesty for immigrants means human rights for all by Cristina Gutierrez, http://www.sfbayview.com/061406/rightsforall061406.shtml

Mumia Abu-Jamal: One legal decision away from execution … or a new trial and freedom! by Jeff Mackler, http://www.sfbayview.com/061406/trialandfreedom061406.shtml

Broken promises, broken dreams by a Gloria R. Davis parent, http://www.sfbayview.com/061406/brokenpromises061406.shtml

Bed-Stuy battles police aggression by Amadi Ajamu, http://www.sfbayview.com/061406/policeaggression061406.shtml

'Taking care of each other': Keynote address at the Civil Rights Cookout hosted June 4 by the Idriss Stelley Foundation in the backyard of ISF and the Bay View newspaper by Malik Rahim, http://www.sfbayview.com/061406/takingcare061406.shtml

Imamu Amiri Baraka blesses the Black New World by Marcel Diallo, http://www.sfbayview.com/061406/blacknewworld061406.shtml

‘Not Your Soldier’ tour comes to the Big Apple by Monique Code, http://www.sfbayview.com/061406/notyoursoldier061406.shtml

The Father of Hip-Hop: Dr. Mutulu Shakur to release CD on 35th birthday of his son 2Pac (Tupac) by Robert, ThugLifeArmy.com, http://www.sfbayview.com/061406/thefather061406.shtml

Boundless love: a memorial to Idriss Stelley by Carol Harvey, http://www.sfbayview.com/061406/boundless061406.shtml

Carrie Dann, Louise Benally and Rosalie Little Thunder: Native American elders and environmental activists coming to the Bay Area by Ann Garrison, http://www.sfbayview.com/061406/carriedann061406.shtml

Rep. Cynthia McKinney to be honored by Black Progressive PAC by Leutisha Stills, http://www.sfbayview.com/061406/tobehonored061406.shtml

Juneteenth speech at Atwater Prison by Jerlina Love, http://www.sfbayview.com/061406/atwater061406.shtml

I’m just a barber by Robert Tunstall, http://www.sfbayview.com/061406/justabarber061406.shtml

Hurricane Information Relief Network: SF Bay View Campaign compiled by CC Campbell-Rock, http://www.sfbayview.com/061406/hirn061406.shtml

Wanda's picks by Wanda Sabir, http://www.sfbayview.com/061406/wandaspicks061406.shtml

What's Going On Calendar compiled by Ebony Colbert, http://www.sfbayview.com/061406/calendar061406.shtml#calendar