This Week in Civics: Do The Work, Build After Dark, Laugh Through Cole Valley

Date:

The Time Is Now: Gen Z Changemakers

Manny’s, 3092 16th St.
Thursday, July 21, 6:30 p.m. | $12

In the wake of George Floyd’s 2020 murder, 19-year-old Tiana Day told her parents that she was planning a Black Lives Matter protest on the Golden Gate Bridge. Her parents, supportive of her newfound activism, assumed a few people would attend her protest. Day’s father even told some of his friends to accompany her. On the day of the protest, over 50,000 people showed up, making it the largest demonstration in Golden Gate Bridge history. 

Day, who graduated from San Ramon’s Dougherty Valley High School in 2020, was one of the few Black students in her graduating class and said she always felt a disconnect between her and her white counterparts.

Meet Gen Z activists rallying for change at Manny’s on Thursday, July 21. | Courtesy of Manny’s

“There have been so many instances throughout my life that I now realize were racist, and I decided I was going to stand up for myself and others,” she said. After Floyd’s death, “I had so many emotions running through my blood, and I have never felt more passionate about anything.”

Day didn’t stop there. She wanted to give her peers a creative outlet through which they could be amplified and empowered by intersectional social justice issues, so soon after the epic protest, she founded Youth Advocates for Change. Since then, her nonprofit has expanded to include five more state chapters in addition to high school chapters throughout California.

San Francisco’s own 19-year-old Shavonne Hines-Foster, who just completed her first year at Hampton University, is the former Black Student Union president of Lowell High School. She was influential in advocating to change the school’s merit-based admissions policy to allow more Black and Brown students to attend Lowell. Hines-Foster is also the co-founder of a non-profit called When YOUth Vote, which has a mission to educate youth on political issues and increase voter turnout.

So what do these two superwomen have in common? Besides being Gen Zs for social change, they recently joined forces to raise awareness about gun violence after the Uvalde school shooting. Day and Hines-Foster are working to alter the political system and their surroundings one action at a time, and they want to tell you all about it. So, come hear from them at Manny’s. These two could very well end up being the next generation of San Francisco’s civic leaders. 

–Meaghan M. Mitchell

San Francisco Politics 101

TogetherSF, 2505 Mariposa St.
Tuesday, July 19, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. | Free

As active citizens in the city that just might have the most liberal reputation in the nation, San Francisco’s politically engaged have a lot of arguments about how to get things done. If you live or work here, you might have some questions about how politics in the city works. With five supervisors up for election this fall, there’s no better time to have them answered. TogetherSF will teach you the basics like your favorite elementary school teacher used to, with photos and storytelling, complete with a Q&A. As a bonus, there are free cocktails and snacks! 

It’s never too late to learn something new about your city, even if you’ve lived here for five, 10 or even 20 years. (CE)

Launch for Do the Work! An Antiracist Activity Book

Saint Joseph’s Arts Society, 1401 Howard St.
Tuesday, July 19, 7 p.m. | $15

Discussing tough topics like racism with your child, friend, partner or even yourself is often not easy. Emmy Award-winning comedian W. Kamau Bell and New York Times bestselling author Kate Schatz have created a way to make it a little easier, complete with activities, games and comics. Join the two on Tuesday evening for the launch of their interactive workbook, Do the Work! hosted by Booksmith, a Haight-Ashbury bookstore. They aren’t guaranteeing they’ll have space for walk-ins, so your best bet is to secure a ticket (and a signed copy) in advance. (CE)

Queer & Well: Crystal and Bloom – A Guide to Plant and Crystal Connections

SF LGBT Center, 1800 Market St.
Thursday, July 21, 5 – 6:30 p.m. | Free

Finished products from Queer & Well: Expressive Arts | Courtesy of SF LGBT Center

Self-care can mean different things for different people. It can be a long walk, kickboxing or taking a warm bath with a glass of wine. The SF LGBT Center has a monthly series to help you find your form of self-care. This month’s free class will dive into using plants and crystals to encourage mindfulness, spirituality and personal connection. Keep looking to see what else they explore. You might find a class on yoga, art therapy and many other activities! (XL)

Crafting Our Community: An Art Exhibit and Sale

The Arc San Francisco, 180 11th St.
Thursday, July 21, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. | Free

Feeling creative this Thursday? Stop by for an evening of art, music, drinks and dancing! Partnering with The Arc SF, the Helpers Community, a non-profit organization that helps with skills training for adults with special needs, holds an art exhibition featuring talented artists from the Helpers Artisan program. Come mingle with the artists, and you will find yourself wandering in a feast of creativity and artwork. (JT)

After Dark: Build

Exploratorium, Pier 15 (Embarcadero at Green Street)
Thursday, July 21, 6 – 10 p.m. | $20

It’s tough to find an adult equivalent to playtime, but the Exploratorium comes pretty close. This Thursday, you can learn from and embody the artist or inventor you’ve always admired. With several “create-your-own” sessions available, attendees can create kinetic sculptures and photo essays to their heart’s content (with professional supervision, of course). If you need a break from learning, there’s a dance party to attend and a menu to indulge. (CE)

Cole Valley History Hike by Comedian Karen Buchanan

Crepes on Cole, 100 Carl St.
Saturday, July 23, 2 – 5 p.m. | $20

It’s easy to enjoy a hike when laughing—it might even make you forget you’re exercising! Join San Francisco native and comedian Karen Buchanan as she takes you around her childhood neighborhood. You’ll also get a front-row seat to secret stories, urban legends and trivia questions as you climb the Pemberton Stairs and explore an urban forest. She’ll even take you to her childhood home for refreshments as a reward. (CE)

Strikethrough: Typographic Messages of Protest

Letterform Archive, 2325 3rd St.
Saturday, July 23, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. | Free

Visual artist Ganzeer’s ‘Justice for Mona (from the Of Course the Army Protected the Revolution series)’ 2020, final print, spray paint on screen print, Houston | Courtesy of Letterform Archive

Join the “Strikethrough: Typographic Messages of Protest” opening reception at Letterform Archive on July 23 to celebrate a rich collection of more than one hundred typographic protest objects from over two centuries, from posters to flyers and cloths. Beyond the archival graphics, you can also point your phone camera across the San Francisco Bay Area for an augmented reality experience exploring historic sites of protest. Moreover, you can generate your own protest posters on their website with the inspiration of protest posters through generations! (JT)

Terrarium Workshop

402 Cortland Ave.
Sunday, July 24, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. | $75

Learn how to make your own terrarium at Bernal Heights plant shop, Succulence. | Courtesy of Succulence

Bernal Heights plant shop Succulence will be hosting a workshop where you can create your own terrarium. Dress in a yard work look because there’s a chance you may get dirty. But your terrarium will be adorable with some cute decor like moss, pebbles and sand. (YM)

The post This Week in Civics: Do The Work, Build After Dark, Laugh Through Cole Valley appeared first on The Paloalto Digest.

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