New play commemorates the history of SF's Fillmore District
Once known as the Harlem of the West, the Fillmore District has undergone numerous changes. A new immersive play is depicting that history, and local community members are sharing their experiences.
"It's a block full of memories," reflected Ericka Scott, a fourth-generation Fillmore native.
As she revisits the home she grew up in, Scott explained that she and her family never wanted to leave the neighborhood, but her mother had to make a difficult decision. When prices spiked after city redevelopment efforts, her mother had no choice but to sell.
"It's hard, just being the home we grew up in. The fact that she left and didn't want to leave, it just got so overwhelmingly expensive," said Scott.
Ericka Scott's story mirrors many others in the Fillmore, where what seemed like initially positive intentions to revitalize torn-down neighborhoods ended up displacing black communities who were promised a right to return.
"There were just so many barriers in place, where it was virtually impossible for a significant number of people to come back to the neighborhood," she said.
Despite losing her childhood home due to such changes, Scott remains committed to the Fillmore.
In its heyday, the community thrived with black-owned businesses and vibrant artistry.
"To know that Billie Holiday was really on these streets, and Nat King Cole, and Sammy Davis Jr., and these are, like, real music icons, and this is where they came [from]... they looked forward to coming to San Francisco, the Fillmore, the Harlem of the West," Scott shared emotionally.
But she doesn't want that creative energy to be just a memory of the past. She opened her own studio in the heart of the Fillmore for local artistic showcases, and a new immersive play entitled "The Fillmore Eclipse" is taking place there. The production re-enacts heartfelt moments when families, due to barriers like poverty, were pushed out.
Actress Janel Chante, who was considering moving out of the Bay Area before getting her role in the play, says she is honored to depict the community's history.
"I feel grateful to have been chosen to be a part of this project, and I'm glad I didn't leave the Bay Area in a lot of ways. I know many times I felt like, 'Oh I should migrate out, and go here, go there,' but God was like, 'No, we are right where we need you to be,'" Chante said.
As the cast rehearses, the play features live jazz music and audience interactions. Director Michael French says the project is sacred to the community.
"There are people here whose descendants are still in the neighborhood, so we're not talking about something to do with Shakespeare or those folks who aren't around anymore; this is real stuff," French said.
That's exactly why Scott is committed to continuing her own efforts in the Fillmore.
"It's bigger than me. It's something that our community deserves. It's something that we have all been in our own silos, saying, 'We have such a strong history, presence, we've contributed so much to this city,' and that's not what you see, that's not what you hear about us, and this is an opportunity to show not only what we are doing today but the legacy of where we come from… and that's the Harlem of the West."