It was called "The Harlem of the West", then Urban Renewal came to save it. If you know anything about San Francisco's Fillmore District, it's probably because it houses an auditorium of the same name, where the Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead helped shape American music in the 1960s.
But The Fillmore, a PBS documentary, goes even deeper to tell a dramatic story -- the rise and fall (and rise again?) of San Francisco's premier Black community, as it faced the nationwide juggernaut known as urban renewal. This film chronicles key chapters in the neighborhood's history, starting with the great earthquake and fire of 1906 through today. A discussion with film maker Peter Stein follows the film.
Related exhibit: We Live Here: San Francisco, 1960s – 1970s
Photos by Phiz Mezey.
March 2 – June 2, 2013 Main Library, Jewett Gallery.