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Back in 2019, we were watching this City—our City—go through some major shifts driven by the impacts of gentrification, displacement, and tech. So we launched a podcast called San Francisco inFLUX. Our goals with that project were to explore the complex dynamics of this transformation—It was about understanding the real forces behind this change—forces that were reshaping the culture, pushing out long-time communities, and leaving a lot of us wondering where we fit in. We highlighted the people and stories that weren’t getting the spotlight and really dug into what’s current and next for the people who make this place home. Since then, our City has continued to be upended by the ever-present impacts of gentrification, and our already deep social inequities have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Look, our City has seen better days, we’re grappling with challenges that don’t have easy answers– but what we’ve noticed about the prevailing narrative is that it paints a hopeless picture that’s quite anxious and dystopian. This way of viewing San Francisco is somewhat fair, but it stifles aspirations, leads to feelings of apathy, and disengages the very people– us – who should be working together to find solutions. Here’s the thing—we know San Francisco still has something special. It’s got us. We’re resilient, compassionate at heart, and familiar with the pavement. We can turn this around. So that’s why we’re hyped to announce that we’re shifting gears. We’re relaunching the podcast under a new name: San Francisco Revival. We’re focusing on the movements, the stories, and the people who are *actively* pushing back against the doom and gloom. We’re providing words of resilience, healing, and hope. We’re not going to let anyone write us off. Let’s get to work on the City’s Comeback Story. This is San Francisco Revival, a Mission Housing podcast.
Episodes
Friday Dec 04, 2020
Friday Dec 04, 2020
2020 has been a challenging year, to put it lightly
Everyone has been going through it, and through it, and through it again
We all have our own takes on what’s going on, and are responding the best we can
We here at San Francisco inFLUX wanted to reach out to influential leaders locally and regionally to hear about what their response has been from their unique positions and perspectives
On this episode of San Francisco inFLUX, we interview Fred Blackwell, CEO of the San Francisco Foundation, about how he has seen his role change during COVID, and how foundations are answering calls for justice in both the public health, and racial realms of America.
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ABOUT FRED BLACKWELL
Fred Blackwell is the CEO of the San Francisco Foundation, one of the largest community foundations in the country. The San Francisco Foundation works hand-in-hand with donors, community leaders, and both public and private partners to create thriving communities throughout the Bay Area. Since joining the foundation in 2014, Blackwell has led it in a renewed commitment to social justice through an equity agenda focused on racial and economic inclusion.
Blackwell, an Oakland native, is a nationally recognized community leader with a longstanding career in the Bay Area. Prior to joining the foundation, he served as interim city administrator for the city of Oakland, where he previously served as the assistant city administrator. He was the executive director of the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency and director of the Mayor’s Office of Community Development in San Francisco; he served as the director of the Making Connections Initiative for the Annie E. Casey Foundation in the Lower San Antonio neighborhood of Oakland; he was a Multicultural Fellow in Neighborhood and Community Development at The San Francisco Foundation; and he subsequently managed a multiyear comprehensive community initiative for the San Francisco Foundation in West Oakland.
Blackwell serves on the board of the Independent Sector, Northern California Grantmakers, the Bridgespan Group, the dean’s advisory council for UC Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design, and the community advisory council of the San Francisco Federal Reserve. He previously served on the boards of the California Redevelopment Association, Urban Habitat Program, LeaderSpring and Leadership Excellence. He was Co-Chair of CASA — The Committee to House the Bay Area. Blackwell holds a master’s degree in city planning from UC Berkeley and a bachelor’s degree in urban studies from Morehouse College.
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