The Bay Area District of California State Parks hosted a storytelling event at Candlestick Point State Recreation Area (SRA) on Saturday June 22, 2024. The event celebrated the voices and stories of the Candlestick Point community.
Established in 1977 along the western shoreline of San Francisco Bay, Candlestick Point SRA holds the distinction of being California’s first urban State Park. The evolution of its creation from wetlands to dumping grounds to public open space are being recorded through an oral history project, led Sonoma State University’s Anthropological Studies Center that has captured the voices of community organizers, leaders, politicians, families, and everyday users who have shared their Candlestick stories. These perspectives and memories have brought to light how the park’s history and importance are intricately woven together with the history of the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood, environmental justice, and the ongoing struggles of an urban community.
The storytelling celebration was organized by Michael Bennett, a former California State Parks employee and now a community engagement consultant in addition to other roles he holds. The event was held in the park’s community garden on a beautiful Bay Area day and brought the Candlestick community together to share their stories with the public and each other. Attendees enjoyed lunch (provided by SF Parks Alliance), a haiku writing booth with poetry coach, Dominick Jerry (America SCORES Bay Area), a flowerpot painting activity (sponsored by Parks California), a short shoreline walk, and the opportunity to hear and share their stories.
Many of the event’s storytellers were longtime community residents and legacy families, including 93-year-old Reverend Aurelious Walker, pastor of the local church, and Allen Jordan, community business owner and son of the first African American man to run for mayor of San Francisco. District 10 Supervisor Shamann Walton, community leader Linda Fadeke Richardson, Literacy for Environmental Justice Executive Director Dr. Hollis Pierce Jenkins, documentary filmmaker Kevin Epps, and State Parks District Superintendent Maria Mowrey were among the many others who shared their stories during the event. To end the program, Lorena Nohemi Tomás Vásquez, a student at E R Taylor Elementary School, shared an original poem that brought the crowd to their feet!
