GERALDINE JOHNSON  Labor Leader & Activist  b. Nov 4 1933  d. Nov 11, 1997.

Geraldine was very instrumental in the establishment and empowerment of several community organizations to provide independent voice for black labor. In 1983 founded the SF Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Committee after serving as the principal organizer of the West Coast March and Rally that attracted over 70,000 people to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington.  The MLK Committee spurred the successful effort to change South Drive in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park to "Martin Luther King Jr. Drive" and later the MLK Memorial at Yerba Buena Gardens. In 1976 she founded the Northern California Chapter of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists. She also founded the SF Housing Development Corporation.

JOYCE RUFFIN d. 2005

was our immediate past president. She worked so tirelessly for the progress of the organization as well as the community. She was an active member of the Bethel AME Church in San Francisco.

REV JOHN HENRY LANE  d. 1999 at aged 75

was Pastor of Grace Baptist Church, San Francisco. For so many years he served as Chaplain of the SF MLK Civic Committee's Annual Labor and Community Breakfast. He was also President of Governing Board of the Center for African and African American Art and Culture until he passed in 1999.

LEFTY GORDON b. 1938 d. 2000

former Director of Ella Hill Hutch Community Center... a friend of the SFMLK Civic Committee...was born Duck Hill, MS and survived by Attorney Scallett and son Gregory...was also Program Director of Booker T. Washington Community Center ... and founded the "Kitchen Cabinet" - a political force in the African Community.

JULIAN RICHARDSON b.1916 d. 2000

a friend of SFMLK Civic Committee...opened Success Bookstore that later became Marcus Books...was educated with a degree in Lithography from Tuskeegee Institute...survived by wife Raye Gilbert and children Karen, Blanche and Billy.

GENE E. SUTTLE   d. Sept 18, 1995

former Deputy Director of SF Redevelopment Agency... a friend of SFMLK Civic Committee... he was at a time Community Relations Advisor for SF Western Addition Area-2... he was was responsible for construction and rehabilitation of more than 10,000 units of housing for low-to-moderate income market rate and senior citizen household.

WILLIAM "BILL" CHESTER b. 1914 d. 1985

served as board member and chair of ILWU Local 10...was born at Shrevport LA...was chief organizer for SF Human rights Day... also Prsident of Bay Area Transit District in 1972-73...worked very closely with Geraldine Johnson of CBTU.

JOSEPH "JOE" JOHNSON b. 1917 d. 2000

was Deputy Mayor under Mayor Joseph Alioto 1968-1976...was first black national Secretary/Treasurer of an integrated union, the National Union of Marine Cooks and Stewards...was known for his oratory...was born in New Orleans, LA..and was named into the Wall of Fame at the Bay Area Longshoremen's Memorial Association.

VERNETTA E. HILL b.1904 d.2001

was a pioneer social worker and was founding member of National Association of Black Social Workers...and established the SF Department of Community Service...was also a staunch member of the SF African American Historial and Cultural Society...was a friend of SFMLK Civic Committee.

THOMATRA SCOTT b. 1918 d. 2000

was a founding board member of the Westside Mental Health Clinic and was responsible for mentoring very many children and youth in the community...was born at Meridian MS...and was a Merchant Marine until 1956...together with Yori Wada created the African Asian Roundtable between American and Japanese youth...was a friend of the SF MLK Civic Committee.

THAD BROWN b.1927 d. 1994

was first African American department head of City and County of San Francisco...served as Tuskeegee Airman in the US Air Force during World War 2...and was appointed Sf Tax Collector in 1969 and served for 24 years...was a friend of Geraldine Johnson and SFMLK Civic Committee.

REV. GEORGE L. BEDFORD, SR  b.1912 d. 1993

was key leader of the church labor movement between Western Addition ministers and the ILWU, and the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters...was Pastor of Macedonia Bpatist Missionary Church and under his leadership constructed the Benjamin Banneker Homes in the Western Addition..was a member of the Sf Human Rights Commission...and a friend of SFMLK Civic Committee.

DR. CARLTON GOODLETT, PHD b. 1913 d.1995

was a defining voice in the city and County of San Francisco and operated a medical practice in the Western Addition for 50 years...Co-founded and published The Sun Reporter newspaper...was born at Chiply, FL... and was Democratic candidate for California State Governor in 1966..served as President of National Newspaper Publishers Association...was a friend of Geraldine Johnson and SF MLK Civic Committee.

LULLAN MCGRIFF

was President of the SF NAACP before she passed. She was a powerful and dynamic voice in the empowerment of impoverished communitites of San Francisco. She lectured at the City College of San Francisco... and was a friend of the SFMLK Civic Committee.

GIL GORDON d. 2004

was a commnuity activist and former Executive Director of the Western Additional Cultural Center...and Director of Ingleside Community Center...friend of SFMLK Civic Committee...was an avid dancer and sponsored several Beauty Expos in the Bay Area...

BETTY SIMON d. 2003

was a powerful voice in the empowerment of underserved commnuities...She was a member of the SF African American Historical and cultural Society... (Please return for additional tributes to Betty.)

ATTORNEY JIM HERNDON d. 2003

was one of the founding members of the SF African American Historical and Cultural Society. He was a community Activist and establised his legal practice in San Francisco... Was also a great friend of the SFMLK Civic Committee

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Please let us know of more heroes that deserve mention on this site. Call Webmaster Kola Thomas at 415-643-5121 or simply email info@sfmlk.org with a brief data about your nominee.

IN HONOR OF OUR FALLEN HEROES WE REQUEST YOU TO MEDITATE ON THIS POEM: 

Mother To Son

Well, son, I’ll tell you:
Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
It’s had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor –
Bare.
But all the time
I’se been a-climbin’ on,
And reachin’ landin’s,
And turnin’ corners,
And sometimes goin’ in the dark
Where there ain’t been no light.
So boy, don’t you turn back.
Don’t you set down on the steps
‘Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.
Don’t you fall now –
For I’se still goin’, honey,
I’se still climbin’,
And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

- Langston Hughes, 1922

From "The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes" by Langston Hughes. Copyright ©1994 by the Estate of Langston Hughes. Reprinted by permission of Alfred A Knopf, a division on Random House, Inc. And the words that he speaks will be cheerful and mild.