By Kim Christensen
After years of community activism and leadership, Uzuri Pease-Greene is blossoming into a new role as a social entrepreneur. As Executive Director of the nonprofit Community Awareness Resources Entity, Pease-Greene is building a base of supporters and drawing financial resources to uplift residents in Potrero public housing and other southeast San Francisco neighborhoods. Whether it be advocating for easy access to COVID-19 testing and vaccinations, or delivering food to seniors, families and unhoused people during the pandemic, her skills, voice and energy have been put to work for the community in a critical time.
Uzuri Pease-Greene at the Daniel Webster Elementary School mural. Photo by Tumay Aslay.
Never one to shy away from a microphone or resist speaking truth to power, Uzuri Pease-Greene is about words and deeds. A frequent public speaker at national affordable housing conferences, San Francisco City Hall and neighborhood group meetings, she has found her talents and life purpose in community leadership and advocacy. “I am just honored to be able to continue doing this work right now,” said Pease-Greene, when asked how she is doing during the pandemic.
Community Awareness Resources Entity (C.A.R.E.), the nonprofit that she leads, was founded in 2015 by her husband Donald Greene and other leaders in the Potrero Terrace and Annex public housing neighborhood with the goal of creating a safer and more supportive community for the young kids coming up. With gentrification of Potrero Hill and southeast San Francisco being a constant concern for the diverse communities in this area, C.A.R.E. also works to increase the visibility, viability and voice of folks who have lived in this part of the city for generations. At the same time, they reach out and welcome new residents to become active participants in a variety of projects to feed, fund, uplift and strengthen the neighborhood.
Prior to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, C.A.R.E. was focused on hosting its popular community events like the free Thanksgiving Feast and Summer BBQ Cook-off, which drew neighbors from across the hill, a crew of volunteers, and often a few luminaries from the San Francisco Mayor’s office and City Hall. Post-COVID-19 the organization has had to pivot to delivering food boxes and packaged meals to those in need, as well as focus on making sure the city is providing equity and access to Potrero public housing residents for COVID-19 tests, PPE masks and face shields, cleaning products, and vaccines as they become available. Just as important is the emotional support work that C.A.R.E. does in the community, reaching out to people to talk when they are feeling isolated and lonely. They have also hosted support groups for smoking cessation and sober living. This work is deeply personal. Uzuri Pease-Greene has been through many difficult challenges herself in life, which makes her an approachable, empathetic and authentic leader in her community.
Uzuri Pease-Greene, Executive Director of C.A.R.E., inspiring women of San Francisco. Photo by Tumay Aslay.
Before joining up to lead C.A.R.E., Pease-Greene was a full-time Community Outreach Coordinator with Bridge Housing, the award-winning affordable housing builder that has been actively engaged in a years-long effort to build strong communities, mentor local leadership, and avoid displacement of long-time residents while redeveloping many of the public housing complexes in San Francisco. Bolstered by her newfound skills in community organizing and visibility as a rising leader, Pease-Greene ran for San Francisco County Supervisor to represent District 10 in 2018, after hearing many of her friends say, “You should run for office!”
She applied and was accepted to the competitive Emerge California candidate training program, which has trained many dynamic women to run for office, including San Francisco Mayor London Breed. While Pease-Greene did not win the campaign for supervisor, she feels like the overall process was a big win for her career and community. She was an important voice for the people at the debates, facing off in friendly competition with her rivals on stage, deftly deploying a little humor, and offering her unique grassroots ‘let’s get real’ perspective and experience to policy discussions.
Uzuri Pease-Greene by Tumay Aslay
Being a candidate raised her profile in the neighborhood and across town at City Hall, garnering a spotlight and media coverage that helped bring attention to the needs of her community. Uzuri Pease-Greene is now seen as a go-to spokesperson for the neighborhood and is frequently contacted by reporters to get her thoughts and quotes for stories about local community issues and social justice and equity initiatives. Her success as a leader is due to her hard work and her courage to stand up, speak out, and make change happen. An impressive legacy already, but it looks like she is just getting warmed up and has big ambitions for 2021 and beyond.
Learn more about the 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, C.A.R.E. (Community Awareness Resources Entity).
