Heart of the City

Bayview

San Francisco’s Bayview has its own unique history. As a corner of the city where waterfront access was easy and available, it became a center for shipbuilding in the early 20th century. These jobs attracted tens of thousands of Black Americans during the Great Migration.

Jobs and job-seekers continued to multiply with the onset of World War II. Before long, Bayview had developed into one of the hubs of Black culture and community in San Francisco. In the post-war era, that community blazed a bold path to the future.

“This community has had a history of activation,” says Martin Luther McCoy, a musician, artist, and Bayview native. He speaks with admiration of the local leaders and activists who, over decades, brought national attention to the issues facing their community and others like it: redlining, food insecurity, and environmental safety, to name a few.

“It’s a rebellious spirit that thrives here.”

Martin is keen on seeing that spirit at work throughout the Bayview, for the good of the Bayview. “We have to start thinking outside the box,” he says, “As to how we can generate resources and be a power center, as opposed to just a pawn.”

Power can be found in many places. For Dontaye Ball, chef and owner of Gumbo Social, he found it in his kitchen.

In 2020, during the depths of the pandemic and the outrage that followed the death of George Floyd, Dontaye was among those looking to make an impact is his own way. “There was a lot of turmoil in the country,” he remembers, “And I had a thesis that gumbo could bring humans together. And I think I was right.”

What began as a series of outdoor pop-ups has since blossomed into a runaway success. You can now find Gumbo Social at the Ferry Building’s epic farmers’ market, massive festivals and events like Outside Lands, and their Bayview brick-and-mortar location on Third Street.

Gumbo Social’s menu includes hearty variations of its titular dish, as well as po’ boys and delicious sides—all with a special San Francisco spin. “We don’t really fit in the soul food box,” says Dontaye. “We don’t fit into the Creole Cajun box.”

“We really have our own kind of unique thing.”

Just up the street from Gumbo Social, at a busy intersection where multiple Muni lines converge, you’ll find a narrow, unassuming facade set back from the bustling streets. You might think it’s a movie theater or a small playhouse; but, in fact, it’s Old Skool Cafe, a jazzy supper club that was the brainchild of Bayview resident Teresa Goines.

Old Skool isn’t your regular lounge. Once you look past the wonderful Art Deco decor, you’ll notice that the people running Old Skool are all barely old enough to be out of college. That, Teresa says, was by design.

“I was a corrections officer right out of college,” she recalls. “I worked with young people that were incarcerated, mostly due to gang violence. I was asking them, “What would it really take for you to break out of this whole cycle?” The things I heard were “a sense of community,” and also “a sense of purpose.” That is really what propelled me to start Old Skool Cafe.”

One of the first people to seize that opportunity was Bayview native Tiffany Fuller. “I needed a sense of community,” Tiff says. “At the time, I didn’t know it was what I needed. But when you get what you need, it’s just like, “My God, I feel good. I’m home. I’m comfortable.”

Tiff is proud of the fact that she’s “the first graduate” of Old Skool, as well as the first to go on to complete college and get a master’s degree. She remains involved with the cafe and enjoys watching the subsequent generations succeed. “Now they’re going to college and now they’re starting businesses and now they’re doing things with their lives that do affect the community.”