March 6, 2025

Thanks to the representatives preparing to meet with the Mayor. Outlined below are some of the points identified in MegaBlack meeting as areas of focus for the discussion with Mayor Lurie.

Immediate Priorities & Expectations

• Keep the name - Dream Keeper Initiative. Don’t try to erase the work that was done and rebrand as something new . It feels like an attempt to discredit and perpetuate a negative picture of the Black community.

• Release of Funds and Full Accountability - not just of individuals but of the City system and processes.

  • When will committed funds be disbursed? Organizations cannot continue operating under the weight of bureaucratic delays.

  • What is the city’s plan to reimburse Black-led organizations that have already rendered services?

  • What is the plan to allocate funds to organizations that were previously notified of an award but have yet to receive their funding?

  • Black-led organizations must control and distribute funds intended for Black

  • Communities—not be forced to rely on non-Black-led intermediaries.

  • We demand a minimum 20% advance on awarded grants, covering fiscal sponsorship/administrative fees and early implementation costs, as the city does for other large-scale contracts.

• Clear Timelines & Inclusive Processes

  • We expect a published schedule outlining fund distribution, program support, and policy implementation.

  • How will Black-led organizations be formally included in shaping these processes?

  • Your office must provide regular, public updates on funding progress and commitments.

• Ensuring Black Representation ; Equity in Decision-Making

  • The current Human Rights Commission (HRC) administration has shifted funds from Black-led organization to a non-Black-led entity. We demand the immediate return of those funds to a Black-led, Black-centered organization. Will you commit to this correction?

  • How does your administration define a ‘high-performing nonprofit’? Black-led organizations should not be excluded from funding due to arbitrary or inequitable criteria.

  • Black-led organizations must be recognized as experts in their communities and supported accordingly, not continually subjected to additional scrutiny and bureaucratic barriers.

  • Commitment to AARAC & Reparations

• Commitment to AARAC &; Reparations

  • What is your administration’s official stance on implementing and fully funding the African American Reparations Advisory Committee (AARAC) recommendations?

  • We need a clear commitment to direct investments in Black economic justice and reparations programs.

• Addressing the Mental Health and Pharmacy Crisis

  • How will your administration expand culturally competent mental health services for Black residents, recognizing the deep impact of historical and ongoing racial trauma?

  • The pharmacy desert in Black communities is a public health emergency. What steps will your office take to incentivize pharmacy access in underserved Black neighborhoods?

• Strategic Investments in Education, Economic Development, and Community Priorities The Dream Keeper Initiative (DKI) funding was designed to address longstanding disparities across critical sectors. Moving forward, how will your administration:

  • Invest in education, from early childhood to post-secondary pathways?

  • Ensure economic development resources support Black workforce initiatives, small businesses, and homeownership?

  • Fund health initiatives—both mental and physical—that are tailored to Black San Franciscans?

  • Protect and expand investments in arts, culture, and narrative shift efforts that affirm Black identity and history?

  • Provide mini-grants that empower grassroots Black-led organizations to drive localized change?

Expectations

• A clear timeline for disbursing committed funds.

• A detailed plan for ensuring Black-led organizations are primary stakeholders in funding decisions.

• A public commitment to reversing the diversion of Black-focused funding to non-Black-led entities.

• Concrete investments in the economic, educational, and health needs of Black communities.

Suggested documents to share with the Mayor and his office:

1. The past four years of Black Budget asks, detailing our ongoing and unmet priorities.

2. The MegaBlack SF COVID Task Force Report, showcasing the impact of Black-led organizations in crisis response.

3. The Dream Keeper Initiative (DKI) impact reports, highlighting both successes and structural barriers that must be addressed.

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