Generations of San Franciscans Leaving Legacy
“Everybody needs a third space,” says Shakirah Simley, Executive Director of San Francisco’s Booker T. Washington Center (BTWCSC). “It’s incredibly expensive to step out the door these days, and we provide opportunities in a low-cost way that allow seniors to be connected to each other, not at work or at school, but in a third space.” This particular “third space,” founded in 1920, has become so much more than a community gathering place. It has been a lifeline for generations of residents, offering essential services and programming to address the diverse needs of its members. Not only does the center impact its members, but Ms. Simley and her team, too. “I love my job,” said Ms. Simley. “This is my home, too. This is an anchor institution, and I am here to make sure we have a solid foundation for the future.”
Aligning with BTWCSC’s mission, Ms. Simley is steadfast in co-creating an organization that supports and maintains a vibrant community. Beyond managing the nuts and bolts of program expansion, Ms. Simley and her team strive to keep its community’s individuals as healthy as possible so that they can be “rooted in a city that they have helped create.”
“This is my home, too. This is an anchor institution, and I am here to make sure we have a solid foundation for the future.” – Shakirah Simley
Over the course of a century, from its first location in the Western Addition district of San Francisco, BTWCSC has grown, supported, and impacted generations of San Franciscans. Because of the continued community need for social, wellness, youth programming and more, in 2018 the Center moved to a 70,000 square foot facility replete with a childcare facility, a youth programing space, gym, and community space, which included 50 units of affordable housing, including 24 homes for youth transitioning out of foster care.
BTWCSC, by design, is a community center that serves all age groups. Simley’s team consciously promotes inclusion, empowerment, and energy in the daily lives of older adults. Via initiatives like the Food Justice Program, Leaving a Legacy, and The Senior Victory Club, BTWCSC broadens its impact, particularly in its dedication to elders and fostering intergenerational connections.
The senior program at the BTWCSC is one of the oldest in San Francisco, and has exploded in terms of numbers reached and services offered since the 2020 pandemic. “It’s our fastest growing program,” said Ms. Simley. “We have programming every single day, and a lot of what we co-create is what the elders have asked for: programs for mental and behavioral health that center around Black joy…this is a true community center.”
Leaving a Legacy is a program about which Ms. Simley is particularly proud. Here, youth between the ages of 18-24 conduct interviews with the elders and shape them into podcasts. What emerges, said Ms. Simley, are “powerful, honest, and hilarious conversations.” The elders also partake in the literacy program with the center’s kindergarteners, thereby interacting and sharing their legacies with children and youth at the center.
The Food Justice program at the center feeds about 2,000 people every week in the Fillmore District, a historically Black neighborhood in San Francisco. “We offer organic produce and hot meals prepared by Black chefs,” said Ms. Simley. The elders are also the center’s primary volunteers.
“We have programming every single day, and a lot of what we co-create is what the elders have asked for: programs for mental and behavioral health that center around Black joy…this is a true community center.” – Shakirah Simley
The Food Justice program at the center feeds about 2,000 people every week in the Fillmore District, a historically Black neighborhood in San Francisco. “We offer organic produce and hot meals prepared by Black chefs,” said Ms. Simley. The elders are also the center’s primary volunteers.
The Senior Leadership Program is one of the touchstones of BTWCSC and an example of the center’s values. “We’re learning a lot about governance and empowerment,” said Ms. Simley. “The elders get to say and shape their own program and have also helped with advocacy-based initiatives. A lot of what we co-create is with them.” This year, the center will respond to a call from the elders to start a gender nonconforming group for older people.
The COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges for communities across the globe, and BTWCSC was no exception. Recognizing the heightened vulnerability of older adults and Black and brown folks during this time, BTWCSC pivoted its programming to prioritize the health and well-being of its older members. From virtual wellness sessions to socially distanced outdoor activities, the center found creative ways to maintain vital connections and support systems for its elder community members. “They’re very rooted. They are present, and it makes a huge difference in their lives,” said Ms. Simley.
“Booker T., they take care of us. This is community.” -Rosie, program participant
Looking ahead, BTWCSC remains steadfast in their commitment to addressing the inequities older adults face. For the next 18 months, the center will join three other organizations to form “Equity Community Organizing (ECO) Groups,” (part of a grant initiative co-funded by the Scan Foundation, California Healthcare Foundation, and Metta Fund) to build out an intergenerational cohort to tackle health inequity in the Western Addition District of San Francisco. Ms. Simley continues, “Our seniors have already been engaged in advocacy here – from budget advocacy to food justice advocacy – so this is following up in that tradition of making sure they stay engaged in the city and support the community. We don’t treat them as fragile of mind or body! They’re sharp, so this is really important to me…the engagement opportunities that we provide allows them to keep going and all learn so much together.”
Underscoring the importance of the services provided in light of our country’s systemic barriers, “Our seniors have been to hell and back,” Ms. Simley stressed. “All of the battles we’re fighting now, they’ve been fighting already, so if or when I feel that my spirit is low, I always talk to my elders. I don’t want to let them down, and I try to use that as a reservoir. We’re proud of our heritage and of our elders and of what we do; we’re going to keep rockin’.”
“Our seniors have already been engaged in advocacy here – from budget advocacy to food justice advocacy – so this is following up in that tradition of making sure they stay engaged in the city and support the community. We don’t treat them as fragile of mind or body! They’re sharp, so this is really important to me…the engagement opportunities that we provide allows them to keep going and all learn so much together.” -Shakirah Simley
Story by Sahara Marina Borja; Photography by Jean Melesaine.