A Beacon of Black Joy and Self-Determination
Mission
Booker T. Washington Community Service Center is a beacon of Black joy and self-determination. We uplift and serve our community, build intergenerational bonds, and work in solidarity with allied communities to reform and reimagine San Francisco.
Photo Credit: GABRIELA HASBUN
Vision
All Black people are free to thrive in and shape SF to enable prosperity and belonging for everyone.
Theory of change
Booker T.'s mission is actualized through an organization-wide theory of change with five core activities in service of clear outputs and outcomes.
Photo Credit: DON BOWDEN
When we:
Offer Black-centered housing and services with cultural responsiveness, humility, and competency in the Fillmore and Western Addition
Create authentic Black spaces where Black people can be themselves, heal, celebrate, and build intergenerational, lasting relationships
Enable civic engagement by registering the Center as a polling site, registering voters, and facilitating access to civic information and community processes through a Black lens
Partner with other Black-led organizations and communities of color to provide select services across San Francisco
Participate in coalitions and policy actions to uplift community perspectives and shift funder and civic priorities to best serve Black people
…Our community members will be healthier, more stable, and deeply connected.
They will be able to better utilize their civic rights. Black-led organizations will work in partnership to connect our activities, share knowledge, and build capacity. City budgets and policies will explicitly name commitments to the Black community and include Black perspectives as required input.
Black people in Fillmore/Western Addition can focus beyond survival and move toward prosperity
Black people experience joy and belonging across SF as part of an intergenerational community in solidarity with other communities of color
Black leaders work together to transform services to be culturally competent, dignified, and offer choice
Black people have the tools to reform and reimagine systems to advance justice and equity, including reparative policies
Photo Credit: emily rudisill
Our Values
Honor our Heritage
We celebrate our roots as a Black-led, Black-serving organization and further that legacy by creating authentic and safe Black spaces.
Lead Authentically
We recognize everyone’s lived experience and give each other grace, while holding ourselves and each other accountable.
Pursue Excellence
We maintain a high standard of quality for our staff and services, underpinned by a spirit of grit and resilience.
Lift while Climbing
We work in solidarity with Black-led organizations and Communities of Color to serve and advocate for all.
Center Community
We respond and adapt to the needs of our community, providing culturally-responsive, intersectional, and intergenerational programming.
Continue the Story
