The San Francisco Arts Commission invites you to join us for Constitutional Conversations, a town hall style discussion series that will be moderated by Ralph Remington, Director of Cultural Affairs, and Paul Henderson, Executive Director of the San Francisco Department of Police Accountability.
The first town hall session, focused on the theme of Freedom of Expression, will be held on September 27, 2024, in the Green Room at the War Memorial Veterans Building.
War Memorial and Performing Arts Center Green Room seating capacity is limited to the first 200 attendees.
Watch a live stream of the town hall online at SFGov TV's YouTube page.
The Constitutional Conversations series will be an opportunity for the City to host intergenerational conversations that engages San Francisco youth, artists, community members and City leaders, exploring the meaning of the US Constitution and its purpose, value, meaning, and impact, and explore the wider concept of Culture, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights (Amendments 1-10, 13, 14, and 15).
Town Hall Session 1: Freedom of Expression
Thursday, September 27, 2024
War Memorial Veterans Building, 401 Van Ness Avenue, Green Room, 2nd Floor
Doors/Artist Activations: 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Town Hall Session: 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
This first session will be part of a national activation led by Race Forward, Americans for the Arts, and the World Cities Culture Forum during the inaugural Cultural Week of Action for Race and Democracy taking place September 27 through October 5, 2024.
All events of the town hall series will be free and open to the public.
To register for free to attend in-person or watch a live stream of the town hall session one Eventbrite
Panelists for this session include:
- Chuck Collins, San Francisco Arts Commission President and Lawyer
- John Dennis, Chair, San Francisco Republican Party
- Mahsa Hakimi, Commissioner, San Francisco Arts Commission and Lawyer
- Roberto Ordeñana, Executive Director, GLBT Historical Society
- Nancy Tung, Chair, San Francisco Democratic Party
- And Other Guests
Artist Activations
Starting at 4:30 p.m., the event will also feature artistic activations in the War Memorial building, showcasing musicians, performers, and visual artists who will respond to the space through their interpretations of the Constitutional Conversations topics.
The program will feature activations by Cece Carpio, Elena Gross, the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, London Pinkney, and Destiny Muhammad.
All events of the town hall series will be free and open to the public.
Ralph Remington, Director of Cultural Affairs
-
Ralph Remington has extensive professional experience in arts administration and government, and has experience as a director, actor, essayist, playwright and screenwriter. Prior to joining the City and County of San Francisco, he served as the Deputy Director for Arts and Culture for the City of Tempe, Arizona. In that role, he was responsible for Tempe Center for the Arts’ comprehensive performance and visual art programming, as well as overseeing public art, the Tempe History Museum, arts engagement and municipal arts granting. He previously served as the former Western Regional Director and Assistant Executive Director for Actors Equity Association in Los Angeles. Prior to that, he was Director of Theater and Musical Theater at the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in Washington, D.C. In 2010, he received the NEA Chairman's Distinguished Service Award. Prior to working at the NEA, Remington was a City Council member for the City of Minneapolis. He is a former Guthrie Theater Acting Company member, and is the founding Producing Artistic Director of award-winning Pillsbury House Theatre in South Minneapolis. Remington has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama from Howard University.
Paul Henderson, Executive Director of the San Francisco Department of Police Accountability
Paul Henderson, an American lawyer, prosecutor, and civil rights leader, presently serves as the Executive Director of the San Francisco Department of Police Accountability (DPA). With a background as a senior policy advisor to the White House, Henderson leads DPA to the forefront of progressive criminal justice reform, focusing on law enforcement accountability. In this role, he oversees independent investigations into citizen complaints of misconduct against the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) and officer-involved shootings. Henderson's leadership extends to policy development, including revisions to use-of-force policies, and audits to ensure compliance with policies. He has fostered civic engagement through programs like the nationally recognized mediation initiative. Before DPA, Henderson held key positions in the Mayor's Office and served as Vice President Kamala Harris's Chief of Administration. Recognized for his dedication to public service, he has received prestigious awards and sits on the board of the Warner Music Group/Blavatnik Family Foundation’s Social Justice Fund. A San Francisco native, Henderson holds a JD from Tulane University.
Chuck Collins, San Francisco Arts Commission President and Lawyer
-
Charles "Chuck" M. Collins is the President Emeritus of the YMCA of San Francisco where he served for nearly two decades as President and Chief Executive Officer. Founded in 1853, the YMCA of San Francisco is a not-for-profit organization that is committed to serving the diverse communities of the Bay Area with a focus on the development of children, youth, adults and families. He is also the inaugural University of San Francisco Presidential Fellow. From 1983 to 2002, Collins was President and Chairman of WDG Ventures, Inc., and its affiliated companies which were engaged in the investment and development of commercial and residential real estate. Collins has practiced law and was a former Deputy Secretary of the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency for the State of California. Collins serves on the San Francisco Arts Commission, the Community Council of the UCSF Center for Community Engagement, the board of the Commonwealth Club World Affairs Council, Chair Emeritus of the ShapeUp SF Coalition, a board member of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Mr. Collins received his Bachelor of Arts with honors from Williams College, with a double major in History and the History of Art, Master of City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Juris Doctor from the Harvard Law School.
John Dennis, Chair, San Francisco Republican Party
-
John Dennis was born in Jersey City, growing up in one of that town's toughest public housing projects. His father was a longshoreman and mother a city hall clerk and Democrat Committeewoman. He put himself through Fordham University, where he was elected student body president. John graduated in 1985 with a degree in business administration with concentrations in Finance and Marketing. After college, John became the second employee and an eventual partner in Humanscale - one of the world's top 10 design firms, specializing in office furniture. John worked in tech during the Dotcom era. He has been a real estate developer for 20 years. John is currently the Chairman of the San Francisco Republican Party, where he has served since 2008. He has been a delegate to the CAGOP since 2010. John has been a member of the Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC) since 2010 where he has held various leadership positions. He currently serves as Vice Chairman on the National Board of the RLC. John, his wife Heather, and their daughter Devan live in their dog Augie’s house in the Pacific Heights neighborhood. John has been a San Francisco resident for 30 years.
Mahsa Hakimi, Commissioner, San Francisco Arts Commission and Lawyer
-
Mahsa Hakimi is the founder of Hakimi Law PC, a boutique business and intellectual property law firm in San Francisco focused on protecting the creative talent and legal interest of artists and entrepreneurs alike. While committed to serving the interest of artist and innovative entrepreneurs since opening of her firm in 2002, she also served as the General Counsel for the Amidi Group of companies, a global conglomerate consisting of several domestic and international subsidiaries, including various venture funds for over a decade. As part of the senior management team, she was the lead counsel for Amidzad and Plug & Play Ventures, leading Silicon Valley startup technology incubator and an early-stage investment firm focused on emerging growth technology companies. She was responsible for leading, structuring and consulting principals on all legal aspects of business transactions, corporate matters, international joint ventures, start-up investments and IP matters, specifically federal and international trademark and licensing. In addition to her practice, for over a decade Ms. Hakimi served as an adjunct professor at Golden Gate University School of Law teaching various intellectual property courses specific to Trademark and Art Law. She also presents workshops and lectures on copyrights, trademarks and licensing for various art and non-profit organizations. Ms. Hakimi is an avid LGBTQ+ and women’s rights advocate and has proudly served the interest of the communities she represents for the past three decades. She has served on the board of various non-profit organizations throughout the years, including as the inaugural Executive Co-Chair of Castro LGBTQ Cultural District. She currently serves as a member of the San Francisco Planning Department Community Equity Advisory Council.
Roberto Ordeñana, Executive Director, GLBT Historical Society
Roberto’s career has focused on strengthening local LGBTQ communities at the nexus of equity, economic opportunity, health, well-being, and culture for 25 years. He is currently the executive director of the GLBT Historical Society in San Francisco, which operates the nation's first museum of LGBT History and Culture along with its archives. In the late 1990s, he worked at STOP AIDS Project, where he developed nationally recognized HIV prevention programs and community organizing projects with Latinx gay, bisexual, and trans youth. He has worked at the San Francisco LGBT Center, where he built direct service, arts, and cultural programs and worked to strengthen its organizational capacity and long-term sustainability. At the Center, he served in several leadership positions, including director of community programs, director of development and marketing, and deputy executive director. In addition to his long professional career leading LGBTQ programs and institutions, Roberto has also volunteered his time as part of San Francisco community boards and city commissions, including Bay Area Young Positives, the LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, and the San Francisco Arts Commission, where he served as president from 2019 to 2022. Roberto was born and raised in San Francisco's Mission district, loves traveling the globe, and is a deep fan of drag performance as an act of resilience and community building.
Nancy Tung, Chair, San Francisco Democratic Party
-
Nancy Tung was elected as Chair of the San Francisco in April 2024. She previously served as an elected member of the Party's local leadership for four years. She deeply understands the impact the Democratic Party has on our local elections and is guiding a new caucus of moderate Democrats in the Party. Nancy's core issues are public safety, improving public schools, increasing the housing stock, and supporting small businesses. Outside of politics, Nancy is a local prosecutor.
Cece Carpio is an artist and muralist. For this program, she will be creating a small mural on the sidewalk in front of the building which explores the theme of freedom of expression.
Elena Gross is an independent curator and writer. For this program, she will invite participants to pay homage to James Baldwin’s legacy by penning a letter to a dear one that speaks to where the participant finds themselves now and, perhaps, what they hope for or see for our collective future. Elena will be in the main lobby.
Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts will bring their mobile screen-printing cart for people to make posters using a new design that explores the theme of freedom of expression. They will be situated in the main lobby.
London Pinkney is a writer and editor. For this program she will be reading a series of vignettes reflecting on her uncle's life story. She will be seated in one of the main lobby elevators.
Destiny Muhammad is a harpist. For this program she will be performing a number of improvisational compositions on the second floor at the top of the stairwell.