San Francisco Celebrates the Life of Dr. Julia Hare by Marvin X

San Francisco Celebrates the Life of Dr. Julia Hare, Queen of Black Consciousness

by
Marvin X
photos Adam Turner

Left to right, Mildred Hare and her young brother, Dr. Nathan Hare and Marvin X.
photo Adam Turner

Former San Francisco Mayor, the Honorable Willie Brown and Rev. Amos Brown
photo Adam Turner

Dr. Julia Hare, 

Educator, Motivator, Inspirator, Agitator, Liberator

Today, Saturday, March 30, must be declared Dr. Julia Hare Day, especially since the City of San Francisco celebrated her transition to the ancestors during Women's History Month. What manner of woman was this, this female Malcolm X as a black newspaper in England named her in a full page article some years ago. The consensus of speakers at Third Baptist Church said again and again, she was a phenomenal woman who gave all she could to enlighten, educate, inspire and motivate our people to be their very best selves. 

Left to right Wilford Ussery, Emory Douglas, Dr. Hare,Terry Collins, Benny Stewart (man on back left unidentified)

photo Adam Turner

Firstly, we must give honor and praise to Amelia Ashley-Ward for organizing and officiating this grand home going ceremony at Third Baptist Church, under the leadership of Rev. Amos Brown, mentored by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Third Baptist is known for it liberation theology and Civil Rights activism, the perfect space to honor and praise our modern Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth and Ida B. Wells. 

Before Barack and Michelle Obama, Beyonce' and JayZ became known as power couples, Julia and Nathan held the honor, they enjoyed 62 years of marriage.Dr. Nathan Hare has said, "Half the people not married are trying to get married and half of those married are trying to get unmarried!"

Speaker after speaker confirmed the Hares were the supreme model of black love and successful male/female relations, inspiring and counseling others to have positive relationships. Amelia Ashley-Ward, Publisher of the Sun Reporter Newspaper, shared her remarks after the Delta sorors gave Julia last rites. 

Amelia Ashey-Ward said she and Julia used to converse every morning at 6AM. on a myriad topics, including relationships and child rearing. 

The Honorable London Breed, Mayor of San Francisco and former Mayor Willie Brown

photo Adam Turner

Amelia introduced the first African American woman Mayor of San Francisco, London Breed. Mayor Breed made it crystal clear how critical Julia was in her career advancement, the unconditional love Julia gave her and all who came into contact with our beloved Queen of Black Consciousness and Upliftment. 

Mayor London Breed was followed by the Honorable Willie Brown, first black mayor of San Francisco and the undisputed god-father of California politics. The god-father showered more honor and praise upon Dr. Julia Hare. He referred to Mayor London Breed as the boss of San Francisco, but we have it from a reliable source that the god-father is still alive and well, executing his role as the king of San Francisco and California politics. And he looked so well, someone noted he must be taking a stay young pill!

Ernie Fields was in the first grade with Julia

photo Adam Turner

The singing and music was out of this world, revealing the genius of our black classical tradition, from the Sheryl Davis operatic rendition of "You're The Best Thing," to  Ricardo Scales on piano to saxophonist Ernie Fields, Jr.'s "Soul Serenade" and "I Left My Heart in San Francisco." 

Sangin' Sarah blew us away with "My Way"

photo Adam Turner

Ernie noted that he knew Dr. Julia Hare before everyone in the audience, he knew her in the first grade, Tulsa, Oklahoma. His melodic sounds had the audience rocking. His "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" touched me deeply because my "adopted" aunt used to give me a private concert whenever I visited their apartment in the high class section of Jackson Street, where they have resided since 1973. Several people noted that although Julia and Nathan lived high, they always associated themselves with the people in the  hood. In 2004, I produced the Black Radical Book Fair in the wretched multi-cultural ghetto called the Tenderloin, only blocks from the affluent Union Square area of downtown San Francisco, attended by the black literati as well as pimps and hustlers who'd written books or were in the process of doing so, such notables as Fillmore Slim, Gangsta Brown, Mickey Moore, Rose Bud Bitterdose, et al. The pimps and hustlers said if they had known they could be successful writing books they would have never entered the sex trade. 

In her response to them, Dr. Julia Hare said, "Don't feel guilty about your pimping and hustling life because we got ecclesiastical pimps as well!" 

And as per male/female relations, our undisputed Queen of Black Consciousness told women at the Kings and Queens of Black Consciousness Concert, San Francisco State University, 2001, "Sisters, I didn't wait for my ship to come in, I swam out to meet it!" Then she called out her husband in the audience, "Nathan, didn't I swim out to meet you?" And blew him a kiss! What manner of woman is this? 

Amelia called up Dr. Mary Ann Jones, Director of San Francisco's Westside Mental Health Services.

Dr. Jones said Drs. Nathan and Julia Hare saved her life while a teenager because she was headed to destruction; she thanked Nathan and Julia for their guidance and making her the successful woman she is today!

After the King of Africa, Rabboni Selah, gave his inspirational, motivational remarks in praise of Julia, Amelia called forth my home-girl from Fresno, the founder and president of Black Women Organized for Political Action, Dezi Woods-Jones. 

Amelia Ashley-Ward, organizer and officiator of memorial, and Dezi Woods-Jones, Founder of Black Women Organized for Political Action

photo Adam Turner

In her coming into consciousness, Dezi noted how such black nationalists as Jimmy Garrett, Kwame Toure and Marvin X, and most especially Julia gave her the consciousness to be the woman she became as head of BWOPA, and she did not leave out the legendary Edith Austin, god-mother of Bay Area politics.

Rev. Amos Brown, presiding Minster, Third Baptist Church

Rev. Amos Brown gave critical historical remarks on Julia's attendance at Langston University and called for the full support of Historical Black colleges, especially Howard University, of which brother Langston should have been the first president. 

Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III

photo Adam Turner

Rev. Brown introduced, Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III, who delivered a powerful message of celebration. In the manner of Dr. Julia Hare, Dr. Haynes, III, stole the show! In the grandest tradition of black Christian oratory, Dr. Haynes placed Julia in biblical historiography, the story of Tabitha, Acts 9:36-42. One translation of Tabitha is a woman of energy, grace, beauty and quick movements. Rev. Hayes asked was this not Dr. Julia Hare? Tabitha is also translated as gazelle, an animal who was swift even among rocks and hillsides, and he said, "Was not Dr. Julia Hare Tabitha?"

Before Rev. Brown's benediction, Amelia announced the Oakland Celebration will be Saturday, April 6, 3-6PM at Geoffrey's Inner Circle, 410 14th at Franklin, downtown Oakland. For more information: 510-575-7148

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Dr. Nathan Hare and Marvin X

photo Adam Turner