In this week’s newsletter, we report on the ribbon-cutting ceremony for renaming a City College facility after former supervisor Harry Britt and more.
The City College of San Francisco’s Multi-Use Building has a new name.
The 110,000-square-foot building was renamed Tuesday after San Francisco politician and LGBTQIA+ rights activist Harry Britt. Over 30 students, current and former faculty and friends of Britt took part in a ribbon cutting ceremony on in front of the facility.
“It’s a huge honor,” said Elizabeth Long, whose mother worked for Britt while he was supervisor. “Harry meant a lot to us for a lot of different reasons and to have that [the building] happen in his name, it’s a big deal.”
Britt, who died at the age of 82 in June 2020, was known for his work alongside former Supervisor Harvey Milk and in City Hall. Britt was appointed to the Board of Supervisors in 1979 by then-Mayor Dianne Feinstein, following the assassination of Milk and Mayor George Moscone in 1978.
City College LGBT Studies Department Chair Ardel Thomas said Britt got things done behind the scenes such as his domestic partner legislation, that was passed by the board and Mayor Art Agnos in 1989 after being vetoed by Feinstein in 1982. Britt became a champion for social justice, economic justice and equality for all.
Harry Britt's one-time legislative aide Sharon Johnson at Harry Britt Multi-Use Building renaming ceremony. | Anne Marie Kristoff/Ingleside Light
“This may seem basic but the ability to have these rights is life changing and particularly at this very moment in time, with everything we are seeing unfolding here in the U.S., it is good to stop a moment and thank Harry Britt,” Thomas said. “Thank him for taking that job [as supervisor] he didn't want.”
Many attendees shared anecdotes about Britt, including his former legislative aide Sharon Johnson and politician and LGBTQIA+ rights activist Tom Ammiano, who helped put the ceremony together.
“We had a community of love and the pain of the why and how we were all there,” Johnson said of her time working in Britt's office. “Harry established a safe place where we were empowered. All Harry Britt wanted us to know was to be our best and to do our best with an emphasis on listening and listening to what the constituents were saying.”
Interim Chancellor Mitch Bailey speaks at the ribbon cutting ceremony. | Anne Marie Kristoff/Ingleside Light
The decision to name a building after Britt was first introduced in 2020 by the college’s Board of Trustees then-President Shanell Williams, then-Vice President Tom Temprano and then-board member Alex Randolph and was unanimously passed by the board. In 2023, the board voted on which building to rename and selected the Multi-Use Building.
It also serves as a clear message to all of the college’s students, employees and community members that they are welcomed, supported and celebrated on their campuses, interim Chancellor Mitchell Bailey said. In addition, March’s ceremony was a part of the college’s 90th anniversary celebration.
Harry Britt was a San Francisco supervisor. | Anne Marie Kristoff/Ingleside Light
“It's a fitting way to celebrate that, by having this beautiful event on this beautiful day and allowing us to join the community in celebrating the legacy of Harry Britt but also, forging a path forward because the times ahead aren't gonna be easy,” Bailey said. “They aren't always going to be fun. It's not going to be smooth sailing but they're fights worth fighting. That's the legacy. You don't always have to be the loudest person in the room. You just gotta get shit done.”
Anne Marie Kristoff (she/her) is a recent graduate from San Francisco State University's journalism program. She enjoys writing about the arts, entertainment and nature.
