I recently received an invitation to attend a Community Lunch with San Francisco’s new Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie in Bayview, held at Gumbo Social, 5176 Third St. It was one of many stops he made throughout the city – a sort of victory lap tour.
Lurie, heir to the Levi Strauss fortune and an outsider who had never run for public office, won the race, beating incumbent London Breed 56% to 43%. The place was bustling with excitement as a crowd of about 20 mingled to exchange a few words with the new mayor-elect. We were also treated to complimentary servings of delicious gumbo.
“Bayview is essential to our city,” said Lurie. “It’s one of the beating hearts of San Francisco. I’ve been in the community for the past 20 years. I was here a lot during the election, and I’ll be here a lot as the next mayor of San Francisco. My priorities are public safety, making sure our small businesses can thrive, and streamlining the permitting process so we can get Third Street revived and up and running.
“I plan to make it easier for our small businesses here, not harder,” Lurie declared. “You have an ally in City Hall in me.”
“I think it’s a good start to bring him over to see the community and be a part of the community,” said Bishop Ishmael Bush Jr., a member of St. Phyllis Missionary Baptist Church, St. Andrew Missionary Baptist Church, and the African American Faith-Based Coalition, which incorporates 21 churches. “You know, if I could speak for the community, I know they would love to have him come out here more often. I remember Willie Brown did often – he had a community city hall where he would come to the community twice a month. I mean, this event today is a starting point.”
Bishop Bush continued: “I talked to him about San Francisco Juneteenth, you know, which I’m one of the pillars of here in the city. And I was telling him we don’t want that to disappear. We want it to be stronger this year, add to it, make it better. So that’s what I’ve been able to talk about. I’m going to arrange a meeting with him next week where I can bring our committee in to talk about that and other African American issues. You know, Sister Mayor Breed has been great. Thank you for your service. This is a new day.”
Gumbo Social owner and chef Dontaye Ball, aka “Mr. Gumbo,” weighed in as well. “As a Black business owner in the city, there are struggles that Black businesses often face, and underlying reasons that deserve a deeper conversation. However, the focus here is on building upon some of the impactful initiatives started by Mayor Breed, particularly the DreamKeeper program, which has shown promise in supporting Black-owned businesses. By continuing that format and ensuring significant investment, there’s potential to strengthen Black businesses further.
“In addition to business investment, there is a need for infrastructure support – creating a space where Black entrepreneurs can ideate, connect and access capital. If someone in the community has a business idea, having a streamlined path to secure funding would empower them to bring that idea to fruition, benefiting both the individual and the broader community.”
Lurie closed with a message of commitment. “What I’ve often heard is that the community feels unheard and forgotten. I really want the community to know that I’ll be here today, tomorrow and the next four years.”
The Bay View’s executive editor and Hunters Point’s favorite son, filmmaker Kevin Epps, is best known for the game-changing “Straight Outta Hunters Point” and for “Black Rock,” “Rap Dreams,” “Fam Bam” and more. He has collaborated on projects with Google, Yahoo, Discovery Channel, Current TV and a host of other media partners. He was awarded an artist fellowship by the world renowned de Young Museum. His passion for advocacy for his community is legendary. He can be reached at [email protected].
