The Big Five of Bayview: Unsung Housing Heroes
In 1973, five Black mothers from San Francisco’s Bayview-Hunters Point stormed Washington D.C., refusing to leave until federal officials released $30 million for affordable housing in their community.
Their victory—forged in the shadow of Nixon’s “law and order” rhetoric—saved affordable housing and community services for thousands of families in Bayview-Hunters Point.
Today, the Big Five —composed of Elouise Westbrook, Julia Commer, Osceola Washington, Ruth Williams, and Bertha Freeman—remains an inspirational battle cry against displacement in a city with a Black population that has fallen from over 96,000 to under 46,000.
(Photos via Hunters Point Crane & Trust for Public Land)
A Neighborhood Struggle
Photos via Hunters Point Crane & KQED
Post-WWII, over 40,000 Black Southern migrants settled in San Francisco after Japanese internment left vacancies. However, during San Francisco’s period of Urban Renewal, they would face a new war: the SF Redevelopment Agency’s (SFRA) “slum clearance” campaigns.
Between 1959-1973, the SFRA displaced around 20,000 residents across San Francisco from their homes in The Fillmore and — a strong majority Black–under the excuse of “Urban Renewal”. Many would relocate towards other hubs for African Americans. Bayview-Hunters Point, known for its shipyards and WWII-era housing barracks was the most popular.
Bayview-Hunters Point would soon hold the largest number of African Americans in San Francisco, but their population would suffer heavy unemployment as wartime jobs disappeared, and as populations began to rise. Soon after, city officials would turn their heads away as housing and environmental conditions reached unhabitable levels.
In the face of this struggle were The Big Five of Bayview — five African American mothers who sought to improve living conditions for their community.
The Big Five of Bayview
ELOISE WESTBROOK
Born in 1915 Texas, she migrated to SF in 1949, bringing a steel resolve forged by the Jim Crow South. As head of the Hunters Point Joint Housing Committee, she became a fierce neighborhood advocate.
In 1973, she led the delegation to D.C., where The Big Five staged a sit-in at HUD offices until over $30m in promised funds were restored.
Her 1976 victory—the Caleb G. Clark Health Center in Potrero Hill—provided free care to 12,000 residents. Today, the Westbrook Apartments in SOMA bear her name, housing 120 low-income families.
(Photo via KQED, colorized)
Ruth Williams
A Baton Rouge native, Williams transformed the Bayview Opera House from an aging relic into a National Historic Landmark.
After the 1966 police killing of Matthew Johnson sparked uprisings, she secured funds to renovate the building, mentoring a young Danny Glover and launching 37 plays celebrating Black resilience.
(Photo via KQED)
Julia Commer
For 15 years, Julia Commer fought to replace the aging, worn out barracks of Bayview with 134 acres of mixed-income homes and schools.
The result – over 900 garden homes, as well as a community center and schools for Bayview’s large African American population on the former barracks.
In an article published by the San Francisco Chronicle in 1978, Commer is photographed crying tears of joy for her community’s achievement.
Osceola Washington
Washington’s legacy was forged as a local grassroots movement icon.
She co-founded the Bavyiew-Hunters Point Community Development Corporation, which directly confronted the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency and pressured them into allowing Bayview’s residents to have a say in developments affecting their community.
(Photo from KRON4 Archives, accessed via Trust for Public Good)
Bertha Freeman
A key figure in her community, Freeman spearheaded initiatives to create employment and training opportunities in a struggling area.
She led a committee tasked with identifying and selecting unemployed individuals for job training and teaching assistant roles, effectively addressing the neighborhood's pressing need for employment.
Freeman's lasting impact on the community is commemorated by Bertha Lane, a street named in her honor within Bayview-Hunters Point.
An Enduring Legacy
The stories of the Big Five of Bayview resonate strongly with modern struggles for housing & racial justice and community empowerment. Their tireless efforts laid the groundwork for organizations, movements, and housing non-profits that continue to fight for affordable housing and tenants' rights in San Francisco today.
In 2025, Bayview-Hunters Point has a population of ~113,000, with a dwindling population of African Americans that has fallen from 65% in 1990 to just under 11% in 2023.
Amidst the dramatic decrease in population for the African American community are organizations and movements fighting against displacement for marginalized populations. As such, the work of these pioneering women is carried on by community advocates, non-profits, and coalitions actively fighting for housing access and racial equity.
Today, organizations like the Bill Sorro Housing Program provide crucial services such as housing application assistance, tenant's rights counseling, and advocacy for low to moderate income individuals. Other non-profit organizations like the Housing Rights Committee also provide tenants’ counseling, education, and tenant organizing to combat housing injustice & abuse.
As gentrification continues to threaten displacement to communities across San Francisco, we must push for equitable housing policies and mandate the creation of deeply affordable housing units in our city – just as The Big Five fought for millions in housing development funding.
Together, we can honor the legacy of the Big Five by continuing their work, supporting our communities, and ensuring that Bayview-Hunters Point and the rest of San Francisco’s neighborhoods remain diverse, vibrant, and accessible to all.
The struggle for housing justice is far from over, but with community synergy and unwavering support for organizations fighting on the front lines, we can build a future that the Big Five would be proud to see.
Additional Resources:
Mission Housing Development Corp: Provides affordable housing to low-income families, the disabled, and elderly.
GLIDE San Francisco: Non-profit providing housing support & advocacy, daily Free Meals, childcare, health services & more.
Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco: Free tenants’ rights and affordable housing support for tenants in San Francisco.
Hamilton Families: Offers homelessness prevention and housing subsidy programs, as well as shelter and support for families experiencing homelessness.
San Francisco Emergency Rental Assistance Program (SF ERAP): Provides emergency financial help for move-in costs and past-due rent. (We can help you with this!)
Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing: Offers resources for those at risk of or experiencing homelessness
Coordinated Entry, Department of Homelessness & Supportive Housing: Provides access to homeless services and resources