FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Jackie Wright,
February 18, 2010
415
525 0410
Sam
Jordan's Bar Presents Family History Day
During Black History Month
Efforts underway to make historic bar a historical
landmark
in San Francisco in honor of Mayor of Butchertown.
San
Francisco-
Sam Jordan's Bar will present Bayview Family
History Day on Saturday, February 27 as part of its 51st anniversary,
and the
launch of its efforts for historical landmark status and recognition of
Black
History Month. Festivities include
music, food, prizes, mementos, scanning and evaluation of vintage photos
from
Bayview Hunter's Point neighbors, and a dominoes tournament will take
place at
Sam Jordan's Bar, 4004 Third Street in San Francisco beginning at 1:00
pm.
Sam Jordan Light Heavy Weight
Champion "Sam's," as the
bar is known, was founded by former light heavyweight boxing champion,
the late Sam
Jordan. Born in Diboll, Texas in
1925, Jordan was known as "Singing Sam" in the boxing world because
he sang the National Anthem before his fights, and would sing after his
victories.
After a stint in
the U.S. Navy, Jordan moved to San Francisco in 1945 and worked as a
warehouseman
in the shipyards. Sam Jordan's Bar
was opened to the public in January 1959.
People of all races, creeds, and color patronized Sam's. Active in
Civil Rights and as a
community activist, Jordan ran for Mayor of San Francisco in 1963 and
came in
fourth place. Politicians and
clergy affectionately knew him as the Mayor of Butchertown as a result
of his
strong involvement in community that included helping to establish the
Bayview
Merchants Association in 1960. Sam Jordan's, now operated by his
children, is
seeking long overdue historic landmark status and the Jordan Family
wants to
encourage the entire Bayview neighborhood to value its unique heritage. "It was
inspirational watching my father be confidante to stars like Sammy Davis
Jr.
while being very concerned about the everyday people in our
neighborhood,"
said Allen Jordan, Sam Jordan's son.
"Men like my father  paved the way for
people like former Mayor
Willie Brown and President Obama.
I'm proud people are working with us to keep his legacy alive to inspire
young people to work hard and take charge of their lives no matter where
they
live."
As part of the
civic tradition, Sam Jordan's Bar is adopting the Willie L. Brown
College
Preparatory Academy and encouraging other Third street businesses to
support
the five other public schools serving Bayview families.
"There is a
historic legacy in the Bayview that needs to be honored and recognized,"
said
Sam Jordan
Champion of the Community Jacquie Taliaferro of LaHitz Media.
"We're pleased to be part of the effort to bring landmark
recognition to Sam Jordan's. It's
living historians like John Templeton that help bring light to the Black
heritage in California that we too often overlook," added Taliaferro.
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