George Alfaro: Project Proposal

At the moment, the story of San Francisco’s Bayview – Hunters Point neighborhood is one largely centered around redlining, environmental racism, gentrification, and gang violence. Media outlets come in and out to report on tragedies, but are long gone after the ‘newsworthy event’ fades. Meanwhile, the community remains the same, and they continue to suffer from mis/underrepresentation.

However, the residents of this neighborhood are much more than their struggles, and therefore should not be defined by the adversities they face. Bayview – Hunters Point is a multiracial community united by compassion and culture, which is something to be noted during this time of unprecedented polarization. By highlighting the reality of this neighborhood, I hope to challenge the ‘David versus Goliath’ narrative that portrays the community as a struggling coalition on the brink of extinction.

This project will provide a deep introspective of the neighborhood, and will follow the lives of the Harrison family who were members of the community before they became policy advocates out of necessity. As they carry on their late mother’s legacy, the Harrison’s now lead over 8,000 residents to clear toxins, radioactive waste, and threats of displacement from the place that they call home.

As someone who grew up in a “blighted” area that is now gentrified, the concerns of this community resonate with me. The feeling is all too familiar, and if you go and talk to people there some will tell you “it’s only a matter of time” with a sense of crushing defeat in their voice while others will continue to fight until they draw their last breath as Marie Harrison did.

In sum, Dorothea Lange is best known for her work under the FSA and the WRA, but her portrait of the Richmond community during the early 1940s is often overlooked. My goal for this project is to pay homage by emulating Lange’s approach and capturing the essence of the Bayview – Hunters Point community. I intend on starting as soon as possible, and will work on this project tirelessly for several months, if not a year, until all objectives are met and the introspective is complete.